A Thunderstorm in Summer
by blaerofvalenwood
Summary: Nibutani never considered herself to be a jealous person but she couldn't help but feel threatened by the appearance of a new transfer student. Dekomori/Nibutani. OC warning.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Chuunibyou or any of the characters associated with it.

* * *

Shinka Nibutani shook with rage. She was absolutely fuming. She stood in the middle of the doorway to the club room, her head tilted down, her face flushed. _Why_, she thought, _why is this happening? Why do I feel like this? What is going on?_

Nibutani could hardly believe the scene that was unfolding in front of her. It happened so quickly. She had no time to prepare for the onslaught of emotions that hit her once she laid eyes on this unfortunate scene. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. It felt like a fire started inside of her and every second a new log was being added. It kept building and Nibutani knew she needed to suppress it before it became an uncontrollable wildfire.

_At first I couldn't look away but now I can't take my eyes off the floor. It could be over now for all I know. Come on Shinka, raise your head._

Her heart was pounding. An uneasy feeling spread throughout her, effectively simmering the once overpowering rage. Nibutani didn't like this feeling any better. It felt like an impending doom was awaiting her the moment she lifted her gaze. _What if it isn't over? I don't want to see that again._

Seeing it for the first time was enough of a shock for her. She thought that it might be best to just turn around, leave, and not look back. It was fairly obvious that the rest of the room's occupants and seen her outburst. Nibutani knew that running would be easier than having to explain her rush of emotions to everyone in the room, especially to _her_. The tiny girl would undoubtedly mock Nibutani for today's drama.

She mentally kicked herself for getting so worked up over such a small insignificant thing. She knew that she shouldn't let it get to her but here she was, standing in the doorway of the group's club room, completely unable to move.

Nibutani forgot the reason she came back in the first place. She had other obligations to attend to but for some reason, she found herself back here. _Why am I even here? I should be with the theatre club. If I had just stayed like I was supposed to, I wouldn't have had to be here for this. Curse my lack of self control. _Nibutani inwardly groaned.

After what felt like an eternity, Nibutani finally directed her gaze towards the source of her raging emotions. Almost immediately, she felt her heart sink in her chest. Nibutani lost grasp of her emotions and the rage built up inside her once again as she watched a purple haired girl press her lips against Sanae Dekomori's for a second time.

**-a few days earlier-**

The club room was oddly quiet. Rikka and Dekomori's antics kept the room lively almost every day, running around and spouting whatever chuunibyou delusion came to their head first. Nibutani thought it was mostly nonsense but there were times when she looked on enviously. She would sometimes catch herself reminiscing about her days as Mori Summer, but she would just shake her head and force herself to think about something else.

A part of her envied their total devotion to their delusions. She often thought about how much happier they seemed compared to her. Nibutani would dismiss those thoughts within a few seconds of having them, but they always seemed to creep back in. But she believed that achieving a completely normal high school life would make all the stress worth it. The only thing that ever really stood in the way of that goal, was her chuuni companions.

It didn't help that Kumin and Yuuta encouraged them. Those two weren't completely lost in their delusions but they liked to play along. Yuuta mostly did it for Rikka's sake but Nibutani could see that he enjoyed it as well. Kumin joined in occasionally, and she seemed to have a lot of fun, but Nibutani knew her preferred activity was napping. _You would think they would want some peace and quiet every once in a while. _Nibutani sighed.

Despite her gratitude for the day's relaxing feel, Nibutani still found it rather odd that nothing exciting was going on today. Yuuta was helping Rikka study for the upcoming exams. Their voices never rose above a soft murmur, likely to avoid disturbing everyone else. Kumin was asleep in the corner as usual. Her head rested comfortably on her favorite sheep pillow. No sound came from her except for the occasional mumble.

_The reason it's so quiet is because that stupid first year isn't here. If she was, there would undoubtedly be a huge annoying ruckus... Though I do wonder what she could possibly be up to._

As if the girl had read her mind, the door to the club room flew open and Dekomori marched in triumphantly, another girl beside her. Nibutani snapped out of her thoughts and fixed her gaze on Dekomori and this mystery newcomer. She could tell that things were about to get hectic.

"I have managed to recruit another into our ranks!" Dekomori announced, "Have I pleased you, Master?"

Rikka looked up from her books and said with a serious expression on her face, "We will have to test her skill first. Only those strong enough to survive battle against the Wicked Eye shall be allowed to join us." Rikka eyed the new girl, challenging her with her stare.

"That's my Master!" Dekomori beamed.

"Hey, stop messing around." Yuuta smacked Rikka with her textbook. "You need to study for these exams or you might fail the class and get held back."

Rikka rubbed at the spot where the book made contact. She pouted and reluctantly returned to her studies. Yuuta sighed and settled down beside her.

"Hello everyone!" said the girl standing next to Dekomori. "My name is Mitsuki Akiyama."

Nibutani noticed that Mitsuki was about the same height as the twin tailed girl, if not a little bit taller. She had long purple hair that matched her eyes. It reached down to the middle of her back. She had the same yellow ribbon on her uniform as Dekomori did, implying that this girl was also a first year.

"I just transferred into Sanae's class today." Mitsuki said, interrupting Nibutani's thoughts. "It's very nice to meet you all." Mitsuki bowed slightly after giving her greeting. She smiled warmly. Nibutani thought she seemed like a pleasant person.

Mitsuki didn't give off the vibe that she also had chuunibyou. Nibutani considered her to be another possible link into the normal world and decided that it might be in her best interest to befriend the new girl.

_I wonder how she ended up as Dekomori's newest "recruit". The poor girl probably has no idea what's going on. _

"Why did you bring her here?" Nibutani inquired.

"This matter does not concern you, fake Mori Summer! This information isn't for the likes of one who would defile the sacred name of Mori Summer!" Dekomori exclaimed with a smirk on her face.

Nibutani growled. _That stupid first year really knows how to get on my nerves. _She crossed her arms and turned away from the two girls standing near the doorway. She didn't think it wise to start a fight with Dekomori in front of Mitsuki. It might traumatize her.

Kumin, suddenly awake from her slumber, asked "What made you bring her here Deko?"

"Ah well I agreed to show Akiyama around the school to make sure she gets acquainted with all the facilities. It would be a shame if she fell in battle because she was unaware of her surroundings. We were passing by so I thought I'd drop in." Dekomori answered. Nibutani felt a slight prickle of annoyance that Dekomori so willingly answered Kumin after shutting her down completely.

"Good thinking Dekomori!" Rikka said, nodding in approval.

"I suppose I should introduce everyone." Dekomori said. She pointed at Rikka. "This is the Wicked Eye, Rikka Takanashi, and also my beloved master. Next to her is her partner, the Dark Flame Master." Yuuta's eyes widened.

"Don't call me that." he interrupted. He waved at Mitsuki. "Hello. I'm Yuuta Togashi. Nice to meet you." Mitsuki smiled and returned his wave. Rikka glared at Mitsuki, feeling momentarily threatened at the exchange, but kept silent.

"The sleeping girl in the corner is Kumin Tsuyuri." Dekomori continued.

Kumin mumbled happily but incoherently after she was introduced. She had already fallen back into a deep slumber. Nibutani always thought that skill of hers was impressive.

"And finally..." Dekomori turned to face Nibutani.

"This is a fake magician that will fill your head with lies. She claims to be the fabled Mori Summer but she is only trying to deceive you. Someone like her could never match the beauty and grace that is Mori Summer. Not to worry though, I engage her in battle daily and I am very close to defeating her once and for all!" Dekomori explained. She shot a thumbs up in Mitsuki's direction and grinned. Mitsuki giggled in response.

Nibutani's eye twitched. "If you don't shut your mouth, I'm going to pour milk down your throat!" she threatened. "Plus, you're going to scare off Akiyama. She probably isn't interested in this ridiculous chuunibyou stuff anyway."

Nibutani looked at Mitsuki for confirmation, but to her surprise, Mitsuki was staring at Dekomori, her eyes gleaming in fascination.

"Tell me more about your battles!" Mitsuki pleaded. Nibutani couldn't believe what she was hearing. Dekomori had managed to find another person with chuunibyou potential. Nibutani could hardly believe her bad luck.

Dekomori shot Nibutani a smug grin and sat down to begin her storytelling.

* * *

Mitsuki returned to the club the next day, much to everyone's surprise. She seemed to have taken an interest in chuunibyou, Dekomori's specifically. She inquired multiple times about what Dekomori and Rikka do on a daily basis. Every little bit of information pulled her further into the chuunibyou world.

According to Kumin, who had seen the two earlier on, Mitsuki had been on Dekomori's heel almost the entire day. She seemed to be taking note on how Dekomori behaved in and out of class.

Nibutani felt slightly annoyed when she heard about this, though she couldn't figure out why it bothered her. She decided not to think about it too much. There was no use in getting upset about nothing.

Today had been a rather peaceful day since Dekomori was busy with Mitsuki. _I should be happy that I get another day that is Dekomori-free._ The moments that Nibutani was left to her own thoughts were few and far between, so she cherished each one she got These times helped calm her down, especially when her mind was racing.

Nibutani sat at the end of the club room, furthest away from the door, and gazed out the window. She allowed her thoughts to take over and she found her mind drifting.

Her thoughts shifted languidly between school, friends and hobbies until it finally settled on one subject. Nibutani thought about Dekomori. She revisited their past conversations. They always lead to a fight. Nibutani smiled to herself. She had to admit, even though being around Dekomori was definitely exhausting, she couldn't deny that she did have some fun quarreling with her.

In her peripheral vision, she could see the subject of her daydream, effectively pulling her back to reality. _What's that idiot up to?_

Down below in the school's courtyard, Dekomori was teaching Mitsuki the basics of battle. She showed off a variety of what Nibutani assumed were battle poses. Nibutani shifted so she could lean out the window. She was curious about what was going on and she intended to find out more about it.

"You should consider yourself lucky that the mighty Mjolnir Hammer has decided to train you." Nibutani heard Dekomori say. "If you hope to survive your battle with the Wicked Eye tomorrow, you'll need all the help you can get!" Dekomori laughed her affected, high-pitched laugh and struck a confident pose.

Nibutani sighed. _Being loud and obnoxious in the club room is one thing but I wish she'd stop disturbing the other students by playing in the courtyard._ She glanced around the yard and noticed that quite a few students had gathered to watch the little show, as though it were a circus act or a street performance. She wasn't surprised that they drew a crowd, considering how loud they were being. However, the two girls were oblivious to the attention. They were too absorbed in their own activities to notice anyone else.

After a few minutes passed, Nibutani drifted back into her own mind, completely forgetting about the scene below. She wondered about this supposed battle that was taking place tomorrow. She remembered Rikka going on about some "test of skill" but she must have missed the actual planning of the event.

_I don't know if I can handle another chuunibyou nutcase. It must be bad luck that Akiyama met Dekomori on the first day. Well, knowing Dekomori, she probably volunteered to show her around. How annoying..._

Nibutani knew better than to put down someone who was genuinely trying to be helpful but she couldn't help but feel annoyed about this whole situation. She thought Mitsuki was a nice girl but she threw off the balance. It felt eerily similar to the time when Satone Shichimiya surprised everyone with her sudden appearance. Nibutani sighed. She really hoped that no unnecessary drama would arise this time.

* * *

Rikka and Mitsuki jumped away from each other and assumed their battle positions. Dekomori's "training" seemed to have paid off because Mitsuki looked confident rather than nervous. Her chosen weapon was an old kendo training sword that she and Dekomori had found while digging through piles of old junk in an unused classroom. The sword's blade was filled with scratches and dents and a few pieces had chipped off completely. It looked bland next to Rikka's elegant umbrella.

Nibutani, Yuuta, Dekomori, and Kumin sat on a bench away from the battling girls. Dekomori watched intently while Kumin was fast asleep. Yuuta and Nibutani shuffled nervously. "Those idiots are going to get us in trouble." Nibutani hissed.

"Yeah it seems likely that the teachers will be mad if they catch Akiyama swinging around a sword outside of the kendo club. And she's not wearing proper protection either..." Yuuta confirmed. Nibutani was aware that this probably wasn't the best place to hold this battle but there wasn't much she could do to stop it. They hoped that no teachers would come walking by.

They both shrugged, knowing they were unable to stop the battle in front of them, and turned their attention back to Rikka and Mitsuki. The two girls stood a couple yards apart from each other.

"I'll allow you to have the first move since you're at a disadvantage." Rikka said.

"Don't underestimate me Wicked Eye. I've had special training by your servant, the Mjolnir Hammer. She taught me about your strengths and weaknesses. Today is the day the Wicked Eye finally falls!" Mitsuki's voiced boomed across the yard.

She lunged forward and thrust her sword towards Rikka while shouting "Thundering Strike!" Rikka easily dodged the attack which caused Mitsuki to momentarily lose her balance. Once she regained her footing, she turned and faced Rikka yet again.

"Ah I see you harness the power of thunder. Coupled with that weapon of yours, you have the potential to be quite powerful. How interesting... but don't get cocky. Your power still pales in comparison to the Wicked Eye!" Rikka moved her hand towards her right eye and dramatically tore away the eye patch that sealed her powers.

"Destroy reality, break synapses, vanishment this world!" Rikka shouted. She grabbed the umbrella that served as her weapon and poised to attack.

"You may have been trained by my servant but you are still far too weak to win this battle." Rikka charged at Mitsuki and used her roller shoes to gain momentum. "Judgment Lucifer!" Rikka sped towards Mitsuki, giving no indication that she could stop. Mitsuki was unable to move out of the way. Rikka, going too fast, crashed directly into her, knocking them both to the ground.

"Master!" Dekomori cried. She ran over to Rikka. "Are you injured?" Rikka got up slowly and gave her a thumbs up, signaling she was okay. Yuuta and Nibutani left the spot they were sitting at and walked over to the rest of the group. They assumed the battle was over. That crash looked rather painful.

"Hey Rikka, help Mitsuki up. You are the one that knocked her down after all." Yuuta said, exasperated by this whole situation. Rikka turned to help Mitsuki get off the ground but Rikka saw that she had already picked herself up.

"I'm impressed." Rikka stated. "Most would have been dead after being hit by a direct attack from me. The only other one who has pulled off this feat is Dekomori."

"Crashing into someone like that wouldn't kill them." Yuuta retorted but neither girl was paying attention to what he was saying.

Mitsuki grinned. "I told you Wicked Eye, I'm more powerful than you think." She picked up her disarmed sword and slung it across her back in a makeshift sheathe. The kendo sword, being way too big for someone of her size, looked strange hanging from her back.

Rikka nodded and extended her right arm. "I'd like to be the first to welcome you into our society. You will prove useful in our future endeavors." Mitsuki grabbed Rikka's hand and shook it firmly.

Yuuta and Nibutani looked on with disbelief. "You two are unbelievable." Nibutani groaned.

"Quiet, fake Mori Summer!" Dekomori yelled. "You're just jealous that you lack the strength and integrity shown by these powerful warriors!"

"Yeah whatever." Nibutani looked over and saw Mitsuki's eye's shimmering with happiness at the praise she received from Dekomori. A twinge of jealousy pricked Nibutani in the back of her mind. She rolled her eyes and said, "Well if this little charade is over with, I'm off to theatre club. I'll meet up with you guys back in the clubroom in a little while." The others gave their goodbyes and Nibutani stalked off towards the theatre club room.

* * *

Nibutani opened up her locker and reached in to grab her costume. Today was an important session for the group. Nibutani hoped that the earlier event wouldn't distract her from what she needed to do today. As she pulled out her costume, the first thing that caught her eye was the word "Fake" stitched into the back of it. Nibutani made a habit out of checking her costumes every day since the small blonde girl liked to sabotage her at every turn. She wasn't surprised in the slightest.

A familiar rage bubbled inside her and she could feel herself grinding her teeth together and balling her fists. Today was the one day she hoped would go well. It would take time to find a replacement costume that was suitable for their work today. It was an important day for the club and Dekomori had gone and ruined everything.

"I'm going to kill that first year." Nibutani whispered.

Without a second thought, Nibutani stormed out of the theatre clubroom, her fellow classmates looking on in curiosity. She practically ran until she reached the room that hosted the Far East Magic Napping Society of Summer. She paused momentarily to gather her thoughts and then flung the door open.


	2. Chapter 2

"What do you think you're doing?!" a voice screamed. Nibutani realized that it was her own but didn't remember opening her mouth. Her head was spinning. Thought after thought shot through her mind, eventually building into an incoherent mess. Nibutani felt confused. It was all too much to take in at once.

"Hm?" She heard Mitsuki's voice. "What do you mean?" Nibutani noticed that Mitsuki had finally removed herself from Dekomori's space and had turned to look at her, a genuinely innocent and somewhat bemused expression on her face.

Nibutani barely had time to think before she heard her own voice shout, "This is totally inappropriate! Stop! Just stop!" Mitsuki looked at her in confusion. It pissed Nibutani off even more. There was no way Mitsuki was completely unaware of how crazy her actions were. It seemed spontaneous, but Nibutani had a feeling that Mitsuki had planned it out beforehand.

Nibutani, gaining control over her emotions for a split second, wondered how Dekomori felt about this intrusion on her personal space. Nibutani glanced over at Dekomori. The smaller girl remained sitting in her original place, her eyes glazed over. She slumped forward, her weight pushing her over. Her face was flushed and her mouth had fallen slightly open. Nibutani deduced that the kisses had caught her by surprise as well.

"Is there something wrong, Nibutani?" Mitsuki asked. "You look like something terrible has happened to you." For some reason, that sentence stuck in her mind. _Something terrible has happened to me…_ Nibutani wondered if that was actually true. Could those surprise kisses really be that terrible? Confusion clouded over Nibutani's mind.

"Why?" Nibutani asked, her voice barely rising above a whisper. That was the only word Nibutani managed to utter. Anything else would have come out as incoherent as the thoughts that filled her head.

"I know that was sudden, but why are getting so angry?" Yuuta interjected. Nibutani's eyes widened. That simple question reminded her of her situation. She took another look around the room, confirming that every club member was indeed present. Nibutani felt the color drain from her face. Everyone had seen her emotional outburst and she had no real explanation for it. She didn't completely understand it herself. As she looked around the room, she briefly caught Kumin's eyes. The other girl smiled knowingly and apologetically.

Nibutani felt a sudden presence in front of her. Mitsuki had walked over to where she was standing. She giggled and said, "We were all talking about the amazing battle I had with the Wicked Eye. Sanae kept praising me, saying that my skills were impressive for a newcomer. I just got overcome by so many happy emotions that I kissed her without thinking." Mitsuki rubbed the back of her neck and smiled sheepishly. Nibutani doubted that was completely true. Mitsuki blushed slightly and whispered, "The second time was because I liked the feeling I got when it happened."

Mitsuki lowered her voice enough so that the others in the room hadn't heard what she said. Nibutani, who was standing right beside her, heard it clearly, and she fought the urge to smack the girl in front of her.

Mitsuki's face suddenly turned beet red. She squealed and said, "I can't believe I just said that out loud! Keep that a secret between you and me okay?" She winked at Nibutani and went back to join the others. Rikka, who had become worried after Dekomori made no indication that she was conscious, crawled over to Dekomori's side and poked her cheek.

"Where am I?!" Dekomori asked frantically as she snapped out of her daze, bringing her arms up to shield her face in an instinctive battle pose.

"You have finally rejoined us in the real world. Your body stayed here, but your mind was trapped in another realm." Rikka explained, nodding. "The only logical conclusion is that you were put under a dangerous spell. I am relieved that you made it out alive, my servant." Dekomori reddened.

She sprung up from her seat and pointed an accusing finger at Mitsuki. "Are you a witch?! What spell did you put me under? Answer immediately or I'll be forced to take your life as a precaution!" Dekomori shook slightly, her eyes wild.

Mitsuki giggled and answered, "Of course not! I kissed you silly! It was no spell, just a gesture of affection for my master." Mitsuki's eyes gleamed in amusement. She seemed to be enjoying the scene playing out in front of her. Nibutani squinted. This girl had a lot more going on then what she initially showed. Her real personality was shining through. She appeared to be a lot more touchy feely than the average everyday person and her bubbly attitude was beginning to surface as well. Nibutani felt instantly annoyed. _It's common courtesy to respect people's personal space. You don't just go and kiss someone out of nowhere. The nerve of that girl…._

Dekomori looked taken aback. "M-Master?"

"Oh! Amongst all the excitement, I forgot to tell you that from this day forward, I shall follow you as your servant. You did teach me all there is about fighting! I wouldn't have survived without you." Mitsuki grinned. Her words seemed to calm Dekomori down from her panicked state. She put her hand on her chin and fell into a deep thought.

After a few moments Dekomori put her hands on her waist and said, "Very well! I accept you as my servant! Mas- I mean Rikka, I have acquired a servant of my own therefore your status as my master ends here." Rikka sighed and nodded. "I understand." Rikka replied. "I am proud of you Dekomori. You have come far." Dekomori grinned and laughed triumphantly. "You were a great master Rikka. I will truly miss serving under you. But it is unbecoming for a master to be the servant of another!" Rikka nodded in agreement.

Dekomori's grin faded and her face became thoughtful for a second time. She scrunched up her nose and her cheeks flushed again, as though she was remembering something embarrassing. Hand on her hip, she pointed a finger directly at Mitsuki's face. "I'm glad you serve under me now but do not surprise me like that again!"

"Of course!" Mitsuki smiled. "Next time I'll ask permission!" Dekomori blushed and laughed nervously. Dekomori, who hadn't noticed Nibutani's presence in the doorway, suddenly jumped back and assumed a battle position.

"Fake Mori Summer! I see you have tried to sneak up on me, but as usual, you have failed in your endeavors! I am wholly prepared to resume our daily battles." Dekomori grabbed hold of her pigtails and swung them in circles at her sides. "This time I am not alone! Today you will engage not only the mighty Mjolnir Hammer, but her loyal servant as well!" Mitsuki made a happy noise and joined Dekomori at her side.

After the drama that took place, Nibutani was both mentally and physically exhausted. She couldn't bear to imagine putting up with Dekomori's usual antics. And now that she had involved Mitsuki, Nibutani felt even more drained. _That girl has even invaded our daily fights. Unbelievable. _Nibutani was hit with a wave of utter frustration and disappointment. Her mood quickly turned sour and she lost all desire to remain in the presence of these people. Without a single word, Nibutani turned around and left the club room, shutting the door behind her. As she walked away she heard a voice ask, "What's wrong with Nibutani today?" She hung her head and made her way home for the day, completely forgetting about her prior obligations to the theatre club. She dragged her feet the whole way home.

* * *

"_Nibutani, Nibutani! Wait up for me!" She turned around and saw Dekomori running after her, trying to catch up. Nibutani slowed her pace to a stop and waited for the younger girl. As soon as Dekomori reached her, the blonde girl bent over and placed her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. 'She must have been running quite a bit to be that out of breath.' Nibutani thought._

_Nibutani looked around. They were stopped in the middle of the city's biggest shopping districts. Many students liked to spend their down time here with their friends making it one of the busiest spots in town. It was a pleasant place to be. Expertly arranged flower beds lined the sidewalk in front of the various shops. The smell of cookies wafted out from the bakery across the street. Strangers sat outdoors at cafes, chatting idly to one another. All around them, shoppers hustled in out of shops, attempting to visit them all in one day. It was a difficult task to achieve considering the sheer abundance of stores that the shopping district held._

_Nibutani wondered how they ended up here. They had school today and Nibutani never passed the shopping district on her usual route. She didn't have time to ponder over it further as her thoughts were interrupted when a package was held out in front of her. It was a small red bag with white hearts dotting it's surface. It was tied closed with a white satin ribbon. The bag was filled with small heart shaped cookies. Nibutani, surprised by the offering presented to her, looked up at Dekomori who was blushing furiously. _

_"I know I went a little overboard with the hearts but I didn't know how else to get my point across…" Dekomori shuffled her feet and looked down. After a moment, she looked up expectantly at Nibutani who realized that she had yet to accept the gift. Nibutani reached out and took the bag. Upon further inspection, she noticed how nicely it was all wrapped up. It seemed like a lot of time was spent on making it look perfect. Nibutani smiled. A warm happy sensation spread throughout her._

"_Thank you, Dekomori. This is an incredibly kind gesture." Nibutani said. Dekomori's face broke out into a grin. Her eyes twinkled with excitement. Nibutani couldn't help but feel happy when she noticed the blonde girl's elation. "Oh, I'm relieved! I was so nervous this morning. I couldn't stop thinking about how you would react. I thought you might not accept it." Dekomori chuckled softly to herself. _

_Dekomori fell quiet and her smile faltered. She looked nervous. Nibutani was about to ask if she was okay when Dekomori suddenly said, "I want you to know why I made these for you. I can't keep it in any longer." Nibutani's heart raced. She felt her knees shake and her palms get sweaty as her own nervousness settled in. She waited for Dekomori to reveal her reason but the other girl seemed to be having trouble speaking it aloud. She had a feeling she knew what was going to be said. Dekomori looked frustrated, probably due to her inability to organize her words to say exactly what she wanted to say. Dekomori closed her eyes and blurted out "I love you!"_

_Nibutani froze. Her heart was pounding. Even though Nibutani had correctly guessed what Dekomori was going to say, hearing her say it out loud still left her feeling shocked. Nibutani tried to speak, but when she opened her mouth no words came out. Dekomori watched her reaction, anxiety evident in her expression. Nibutani knew in the back of her mind what she wanted to say but her own nervousness was preventing her from speaking articulately. A few minutes must have passed because Nibutani saw Dekomori's expression turn from one of anxious hopefulness to one of sadness and disappointment. _

_Dekomori took Nibutani's silence as rejection and began to turn and walk away. "Wait!" Nibutani shouted. Her sudden outburst surprised Dekomori. "I-I.." Nibutani began. "I lo-.."_

Nibutani shot awake. Her body had broken out in a cold sweat and her breathing turned ragged. She frantically looked around and noticed that she wasn't at the shopping district with Dekomori, but in her own bedroom. Nibutani reached over to her nightstand and grabbed a small pink alarm clock that was sitting on top of it. The clock read 1:30. Nibutani buried her face in her hands.

_What was that dream? Dekomori confessed to me? What was I about to say? Was I about to accept her confession? Oh god what is happening to me…_

Nibutani had never experienced a dream quite like that one before. She wondered why it happened to her now. Nibutani laid back down and hugged her pillow. No matter how much she tried to relax and fall back asleep, her mind couldn't erase the image of Dekomori holding out the cookies for her. That scene had been burned into her mind. Nibutani grimaced and tears of frustration formed in the corners of her eyes.

_No, Shinka, you're not going to cry here alone in bed at 1:30 in the morning. Especially over a stupid meaningless dream. You're just overreacting. It's not a big deal. Go back to sleep._

It didn't matter how much she tried to convince herself it was nothing because she knew if that were true, it wouldn't be affecting her like it was. Nibutani decided that it might be a good plan to think about something else to take her mind off the strange dream she had. She forced herself to think about the exam she had the following week. It was Saturday morning now so she only had a few more days to study until the exam on Tuesday.

_I need to make sure I do some review for the exam. I'm not as confident about my knowledge of this material as I could be, so I should take extra time to study. It would be a good idea if I studied after class in the club room as well as at home. Hopefully that idiot will quiet down so I can focus._

There it was. Her mind had made it's way back to the subject she was trying so hard to avoid. Almost instantly, the images from her dream flooded back in, destroying all thought about the exam she was so worried about. Cookies, the little red bag with cute hearts on it, Dekomori's smiling face; these were the only things Nibutani found herself thinking about. She slammed the pillow against her face in a feeble attempt to stop the flow of thoughts. She felt her frustration build until she couldn't take it anymore. Nibutani sat up, grabbed the pillow she had been hugging just moments before, and screamed into it as loud as she could.

Nibutani screamed until her head spun. Feeling lightheaded, she laid back down and stared at the ceiling, numb, until exhaustion took over and she drifted back to sleep.

* * *

Today was going to be horrid and Nibutani was painfully aware of it. She had woken up to the screech of her alarm clock and felt as though she gotten no sleep at all. This caused her to be groggy and grumpy. When she went out for breakfast, she didn't say a single word to her family despite their attempts to converse with her. She silently packed her school bag and trudged out her front door with her parents watching worriedly.

Nibutani walked her normal route to school until she reached a familiar intersection. On any other day, she would continue to walk straight until she reached her school, but Nibutani felt a small nagging sensation in the back of her mind. She looked to her right and realized that if she turned here, she would walk directly into the shopping district. Without realizing, she started walking, as though her body remembered the way there.

She stopped in front of the same store where her dream had taken place. Her body tensed up in apprehension, half expecting Dekomori to come running out of nowhere. When she didn't, Nibutani felt surprisingly disappointed. Nibutani stood there for a while, ignoring the strange looks she got from people passing by, until she heard a familiar voice call her name. Nibutani looked around and spotted Kumin heading in her direction.

Mori Summer, what are you doing here?" Kumin asked as she approached Nibutani.

She didn't know the answer to that. "I, uh, I'm not entirely sure." Nibutani confessed. Kumin took note on how Nibutani, who usually protested against being addressed as Mori Summer, said nothing. "What about yourself? What are you doing around here?"

Kumin smiled. She pointed to a plastic bag she was holding and said, "I left home early this morning so I could buy a new pillow." Nibutani shifted her weight back and forth, feeling unsettled by being there. "Ah I see…" she said absentmindedly.

"Deko and Mitsuki are planning a huge tournament for all of the club's participants. I didn't have a special pillow for this kind of occasion so I thought it was a good idea to buy one. Those two are really excited about their plan. I think Deko was particularly excited about you joining in." Kumin said.

Nibutani had stopped listening halfway through. _Those two have already gotten close it seems. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. They both like that idiotic chuunibyou nonsense. _Nibutani's heart felt heavy. It bothered her that they got along so easily. She knew shouldn't think poorly about the newly formed friendship, but Nibutani couldn't ignore the burning jealousy that ate at her. It left a bitter taste in her mouth.

"Are you okay, Mori Summer?" Kumin asked. She had noticed Nibutani's unresponsiveness.

"I need to go." Nibutani replied suddenly. She couldn't bear to be there anymore. She turned on her heel and walked quickly in the direction of her school, leaving a concerned Kumin behind.

She quickened her pace to a run. She hoped it would drown out the feelings that were rising up before she reached her destination. She didn't slow down until she reached the gates of the school, where she paused to catch her breath. _I shouldn't have run away. Behaving like that will only draw unwanted attention. I need to calm down and work hard in class. Everything will be fine if I can just focus on what's important right now. If I succeed in doing that, everything will eventually return to normal._

Nibutani wasn't sure if she really believed that, but she had no other hope to turn to. The only thing she could do was try to go on with her everyday activities like nothing had changed. Maybe then these unwanted emotions would finally go away. She prayed that things would start going her way.

* * *

Today's classes had been difficult so far. As the day progressed, Nibutani found it harder and harder to concentrate. Her thoughts had been relentless, repeatedly forcing up visuals of last night's dream. The more Nibutani tried to deny her confusion, the more the whole ordeal upset her. It was the complete opposite of what she hoped would happen.

_I blame that stupid transfer student. Everything was fine and normal until she showed up. She just had to come and mess everything up. Throwing herself all over Dekomori like that, it's ridiculous. It just comes off as clingy and pathetic. And she doesn't have to be so dramatic about it! Keep it a secret? Yeah, right. She does a poor job of that herself._

Nibutani frowned, knowing she was being hypocritical. Her behavior recently had been nothing but dramatic. Nibutani groaned. Since when had she been like this? What happened to make her act like this? Nibutani couldn't bring herself to answer those questions no matter how many times she asked herself.

She looked up at the clock in her classroom. It was five minutes until class got out and everyone broke for lunch. Yet another class flew by and Nibutani missed the entire lecture. She would have to borrow notes from a friend later on. Nibutani resorted to watching the clock. The seconds ticked by slowly and each minute felt agonizingly long. She wanted the bell to ring so that she could escape and find a peaceful place where no one was around. She needed to be alone with her thoughts.

When the bell finally rang, Nibutani grabbed her things and bolted out of the room before anyone could speak to her. Her destination was a small garden behind the school. Not many students visited there, except to care for the flowers, so Nibutani knew it was the perfect place to be alone. She made a beeline for the exit, praying she wouldn't run into the one person who had been on her mind the whole day.

As she turned the last corner before she reached the exit, Nibutani fell to the ground. Something had tripped her. She looked behind her and saw Dekomori and Mitsuki crouched down by the wall. Dekomori's leg was sticking out, proving that the small blonde girl was at fault. Nibutani stared in disbelief, but as soon as she made eye contact with Dekomori, her mind stopped working.

"Geheheh, you have fallen into my trap yet again, fake Mori Summer!" Dekomori snickered "You fall so easily! You cannot possibly hope to survive in the tournament with your lack of skill!"

Out of habit, Nibutani almost yelled back, but Mitsuki's voice surfaced first. "You're so amazing, Master! You took down the imposter in one strike and she didn't even see it coming!" Mitsuki stared at Dekomori, her eyes sparkling with pure adoration. Dekomori puffed out her chest at the praise, her ego adequately inflated.

As she witnessed the exchange, Nibutani remembered the source of her bitterness. Mitsuki Akiyama was in her presence once again and she had the nerve to call her "imposter", a name previously reserved for Dekomori. She pursed her lips and glared into space. Maybe they would forget she was there and leave if she didn't say anything. Considering the bad luck she's had so far, that outcome wasn't likely.

"You're awfully quiet today, fake Summer! Do you finally give up and accept defeat at the hands of the Mjolnir Hammer? It's about time you recog-"

"Don't talk to me." Nibutani muttered, interrupting Dekomori. The small girl looked at her in confusion, having missed what Nibutani said. Nibutani stood up straight and said in a loud clear voice, "Don't talk to me. Leave me alone. I don't want to see your stupid face. Just go away!" Dekomori was speechless. She stared at Nibutani, her eyes wide. Nibutani threw one last glare at the two of them and then stormed off.

As soon as she exited the building, she ran until she reached the garden. She stood at the entrance and took in the sight before her. Beyond a white arch that served as the entrance, there were several rows of flowerbeds, each one littered with a variety of different flowers. A wooden fence wrapped around the perimeter of the garden. Nibutani walked in and sat herself on a stone bench near her favorite flowers, the white lilies. She carefully inspected each one, taking in their individual beauty. A calm sensation came over her. The feeling was inviting. She hadn't experienced calmness like this in far too long.

_This is the first time I've ever been inside here. I've passed by this garden multiple times but I never came in. I only looked. I don't know why it took me so long to enter. Ever since I saw the garden for the first time, I've been captivated by these beautiful lilies. They're all I see when I pass by nowadays. I should try to eat my lunch here every once in a while._

The garden brought back flashbacks of her middle school days. Mori Summer had taken a great interest in flowers and plants of all kinds. She had used them to create magical potions and medicines. Nibutani chuckled. She wondered how she would have reacted to her current situation if she still saw the world like Mori Summer did. She probably wouldn't have landed in this mess in the first place. Mori Summer was so much braver than she was. Mori Summer was someone who wasn't afraid to feel. She loved strongly and the only thing she wanted in the world was to be able to spread that love to everyone around her. Nibutani's heart ached at the loss of that aspect of herself. The chuunibyou delusions embarrassed her, but she couldn't deny the sincerity behind Mori Summer's devotions. Nibutani was satisfied enough with Mori Summer no longer being a significant part of her life. She just wished she had kept some of her courage.

Nibutani took refuge in the school's garden until the bell rang, signaling the end of the lunch period. Time had passed by so fast while she had been reminiscing about her past. Nibutani felt disappointed that she couldn't stay longer. Being in the garden had set her mind at ease. Unfortunately, she wouldn't be able to skip out on class without anyone noticing. She reluctantly gathered her things and slunk back to class.

* * *

A few days had passed since the incident with Dekomori and Mitsuki, and Nibutani had mostly managed to avoid those involved with the magic club. She hadn't even seen twin tailed girl, which slightly surprised her. The younger girl never relented on her sabotage of Nibutani. Yuuta and Rikka tried asking about her whereabouts since she had missed the big important tournament the club was holding, but she successfully dodged their questionings. Eventually they stopped trying. Luckily for her, the theatre club had been meeting every day after school this week so it was easy to keep herself busy. However, today was a different story.

_The theatre club doesn't meet today unfortunately. Normally I would just head over to that magic club and spend the afternoon there but running into those two after what happened would be a disaster. I don't want to go home either. I've practically been a zombie lately. My parents have been bombarding me with questions I don't feel like answering. I've really dug myself into a hole, haven't I?_

Nibutani laughed bitterly. She stood outside her classroom debating on where she should go this afternoon. The magic club and theatre club were out of the question and there was no way she was going home. Many students went over to the shopping district after class, but that option was worse than all the others. Nibutani considered heading up to the roof but dismissed that idea when she remembered the past incident with Yuuta and Rikka. No one would be there to catch her if she fell too. That left only one other place where she felt like she could be comfortable.

Nibutani walked until she reached a familiar white arch. Luckily, the gardening club had gone home for the day, so there were no other people present in the garden. She walked to the same spot she had sat at during lunch before. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, allowing herself some much needed rest. Nibutani could hear birds chirping in the distance. There was a comfortably light breeze. It felt good with the sun shining down on her. She found the garden to be a perfect haven.

_Mori Summer would have a blast here. She would find faeries hidden amongst the flowers and her elf companions would help tend to them. Funny how I chose a place that would draw Mori Summer in at first glance. I should come here more often. It's nice to get away every once in a while._

Nibutani sighed. Running away from her problems wouldn't solve anything. She couldn't avoid the twin tailed girl forever; she would need to talk to Dekomori sooner or later.

_I wonder what excuse I can come up with that would explain my ridiculous behavior? Maybe if I tell her I was put under a spell she'd believe me and this would all be over with. But with the way I snapped at her before, I doubt she'll let it go that easily. She always puts up an arrogant front but I know how insecure she is. She's cried on me enough times for me to be aware of that. I'll have to apologize eventually or this will just get worse._

Nibutani felt guilty. She knew that Dekomori hadn't done anything to warrant such anger. If anyone deserved to feel her wrath, it was that transfer student. No, that wasn't right either. She should have had better control over her emotions. After all, it wasn't like she had a claim on the first year. Dekomori was free to do whatever she wanted with whomever she wanted.

Nibutani heard someone approaching. She looked up and saw Kumin standing near the entrance. The usually carefree happy girl was looking at her with a serious expression on her face. Nibutani's pulse quickened. Whenever Kumin approached something seriously, it was always because there was a severe issue.

Kumin walked over to Nibutani and sat beside her. Neither of them said a word. Each minute that passed was agonizing, but Nibutani couldn't bring herself to say anything. Kumin eventually broke the silence. "Deko's really upset. She's sulking in the club room and she won't talk to anyone. Not even Rikka." Nibutani felt guilty again. She sighed and put her face in her hands.

"I don't know what's happening to me. I've never been this out of control before. I didn't mean to snap at her like I did. I was just so frustrated with everything. I don't know why I'm feeling this way..." Nibutani said. She expected Kumin to say something, but she was greeted with nothing but silence. Nibutani almost lifted her head to see if she was still there but Kumin's voice disrupted the silence once again.

"I think you do." Kumin replied. Nibutani whipped her head up and looked at Kumin in surprise. "I think you do know why you're feeling like this." Kumin repeated. "I think you know exactly what you're feeling, but you just refuse to accept it. You've chosen to bury it deep within yourself. These feelings must have been repressed for quite some time for you to be acting like you are. You've managed to trick your own heart into thinking its feeling something new."

Nibutani's mouth hung open. It was a very rare occurrence to hear Kumin speak so intensely and about something so personal. She began to protest, but Kumin held her hand up, signaling her to stop. Kumin smiled her trademark smile. "It's okay, Mori Summer. I understand. Loving the person you least expected to love would be shocking to anyone. But don't repress it any longer. It won't do you any good."

Nibutani was about to protest again but she realized what Kumin said wasn't wrong in the slightest. It was disturbing how much Kumin could read what people were really feeling. It was true that Nibutani had felt strongly about the younger girl before, but she always found it easier to deny it. She denied her feelings for Dekomori to the point where she came to believe that they didn't exist. It worked for a while, but as soon as another person entered the equation, her repressed emotions burst out of the prison they were being held in. It was no wonder she had been feeling so confused lately, considering how deeply she buried her emotions.

"How did you know?" Nibutani asked. Kumin smiled at her and said, "You're not very subtle about it. You may think you're hiding it well, but it's the little everyday moments that betray you. The way you chase so passionately after her when you fight. The way your eyes follow her as she leaves the room. The way your cheeks flush slightly whenever she's close to you. You might not even be aware that you do these things, but I witness them every day."

"So what? So what if I have feelings for her? It's not like it matters anyway. I'm not important to her." Nibutani brought her knees to her chest and rested her head on top of them.

"What makes you say that?" Kumin asked.

Nibutani hesitated before answering, "Dekomori has her weird servant now. They've been doing everything together since the day they met. They can go crazy with their chuunibyou together. They're practically perfect for each other. Dekomori hasn't even tried to battle me recently. She's never stopped before. She must have forgotten about me."

Kumin frowned. "I think you're misunderstanding the situation, Mori Summer. You haven't been around lately and a lot has happened. I think you need to talk to Mitsuki."

* * *

A/N: Dekomori POV next chapter. Also, I fixed a pretty big mistake in the last chapter so feel free to tell me if there's an error that I missed.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I had to turn to music for help on writing this chapter, especially when it got around the more serious bits. Dekomori POV was harder... Tried my best to write her in character. This story will go back to Nibutani POV next chapter.

* * *

_That fake! How dare she ignore me! _Dekomori watched Nibutani leave the classroom. The older girl had completely ignored her, something which annoyed Dekomori profusely. Nibutani always got fired up when she was challenged to a fight. It became a daily ritual for the two girls, so it felt odd that Nibutani backed away. It contradicted her usual behavior too much for Dekomori to let it slide.

"What's wrong with Nibutani today?" Yuuta asked. Dekomori pouted. "Who does that fake think she is? No one turns down a battle against the Mjolnir Hammer! I'll get my revenge, I swear! Fake Summer will meet face to face with death!" Dekomori raised her fist in the air. She wasn't going to let fake Mori Summer get away that easily. She needed an excuse to challenge Nibutani at a time when she couldn't escape.

Dekomori had grown quite fond of their spats. She found them to be a lot more fun than she originally expected. Dekomori actually came to look forward to Nibutani's presence every day, though she'd never openly admit it to Nibutani. She was never good at explaining how she really felt, especially about issues like love. She thought it was easier to hide behind her chuunibyou persona than to explicitly state her feelings. Her battles with Nibutani were the only way she knew how to express her affection for the brown haired girl.

"Don't worry about her Master!" Mitsuki said. "I'm sure she just has a lot on her mind today. You can play with me instead!" Dekomori blushed slightly. This girl had kissed her, and now she was acting like nothing had happened. Dekomori felt comforted by the fact that Mitsuki said she wouldn't surprise her again, so Dekomori saw no reason why she shouldn't join her. Dekomori closed her eyes to gather her composure and then shouted, "Right! We have a lot to do today! I need to come up with the perfect plan to get back at fake Mori Summer!" Dekomori quivered in excitement. A huge smile spread across her face.

"I don't know if it's a good idea to mess with Nibutani." Yuuta said. "I don't think you noticed, Dekomori, but she was unusually angry. I've never seen her that genuinely upset before." Dekomori fell quiet. She had been recovering from the kisses when that took place, so she had missed Nibutani's reaction. She wondered if it was as bad as Yuuta made it sound.

"Nibutani can't afford to fall prey to human weaknesses!" Rikka exclaimed. "You're not helping!" Yuuta retorted. He grabbed Rikka's cheek and tugged at it. Rikka emitted a small cry of pain.

_What's she getting angry for? This can't be about me can it? She usually comes directly after me when I've successfully riled her up. What's wrong with that fake? _Dekomori felt herself getting worried. If Yuuta was right, there was something off about Nibutani. Dekomori wasn't too fond of that idea.

"Don't worry Deko. I'll keep an eye on her for you." she heard Kumin whisper. The third year had moved next to Dekomori, who had been too focused on her thoughts to notice. Kumin smiled, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. Dekomori's face turned red. "W-Why should I care if that Fake Summer is having problems? She probably just realized how talentless and boring she is compared to me and got jealous!" Dekomori crossed her arms and looked away, an obvious blush across her face.

"Yeah! That's definitely it!" Mitsuki agreed. Dekomori thought she saw a brief flicker of annoyance in her eyes, but it passed as quickly as it came.

"I highly doubt that's the reason." Yuuta sighed. He sat down, already growing tired with the commotion around him.

Mitsuki stuck her tongue out at him. "It doesn't matter anyway. The important thing here is that I have a brilliant idea! I think you'll love it, Sanae!" Mitsuki grinned. "I propose a club tournament! We'll battle for the title of Ultimate Champion!" Dekomori felt her excitement return. This would be the perfect opportunity to draw Nibutani in. Dekomori grinned.

"That is an excellent idea, my loyal servant!" she praised. "We'll hold a tournament and I'll defeat that fake once and for all!" Dekomori put her hands on her hips and laughed boisterously. Rikka and Mitsuki, both equally as excited, joined Dekomori as she sat down to begin planning out the event. The three girls huddled over a piece of paper, whispering, and scribbled ideas as they came to mind. Yuuta and Kumin observed their process.

"Geez they never stop, do they?" Yuuta sighed. "Rikka will expect me to join in as well, so I suppose I have no choice." He brought two fingers to his temples and rubbed them in small circles. He felt a headache coming on.

"I think it'll be a lot of fun." Kumin giggled. "I'll need to buy a new pillow for this occasion."

Dekomori suddenly sprung up from her seat. "It's all set up! Now we just have to inform fake Mori Summer of the details, and we'll be ready to fight. The tournament will be held Monday after class! Use your weekend wisely and train! Do not expect me to go easy on you!" Rikka stood up and took a battle position. "I'd expect no less from my former servant. Meeting you on the battlefield will be truly delightful." The two girls ran around the room, swiping at each other in mock battle. Dekomori hummed her own battle music. "Avalon Smasher!" Rikka shouted. "Mjolnir Tornado!" Dekomori fired back.

"I wanna battle too, Master!" Mitsuki whined, causing the other girls to stop abruptly. Dekomori chuckled and put her arm around Mitsuki's shoulders, causing the purple haired girl to blush bright red. "Don't worry, my servant. You will get to test your skill in battle during the upcoming tournament. Of course, you'll be facing me at some point, so I wouldn't expect to win." Dekomori held her head high, a cocky grin on her face. Mitsuki enthusiastically nodded in agreement. Her infatuation towards Dekomori prevented her from refuting the obviously egotistical challenge.

_Akiyama gives in really easily. I always challenged Rikka, even though she was my master. I'm a little disappointed. It's no fun if no one tries to match my strength. That stupid fake just had to miss out now, didn't she? Annoying fake..._

If Nibutani had been there, she would have shut Dekomori down immediately. Dekomori felt a pang of longing. It never felt the same when Nibutani was absent. Dekomori considered dropping by the theatre club room to see if Nibutani was there. Since the tournament had been completely planned out, there wasn't much left to do, and Dekomori found the afternoon club session to be dull without her rival's presence. She decided that it wouldn't hurt to drop by. She might solve the mystery behind Nibutani's earlier anger as well.

"I have some business I need to attend to, so I'll be leaving early." Dekomori announced. She grabbed her bag and made her way towards the door. As she turned around to give her goodbye, she noticed Mitsuki sitting with her head tilted down, looking crestfallen. Dekomori felt slightly guilty for leaving her friend behind, but her mission to find Nibutani felt more important. "I'll see you tomorrow, Akiyama." Dekomori said. Mitsuki looked up at her. "We shall have a battle tomorrow to practice for the tournament! Prepare yourself!" Dekomori continued, in an attempt to cheer the other girl up. Mitsuki smiled and nodded. Dekomori felt satisfied and left the club room.

She made her way down the long hallways of the school. The theatre club room was on the other side of the building, making it an annoyingly long walk. Dekomori wondered why Nibutani went out of her way to visit the magic club on the days she had theatre club. It wasn't like the two club rooms were right next to each other. It took at least a little effort to move between them. Nibutani could only manage to stay for a few minutes before she had to return, and that small amount of time was usually spent bickering with Dekomori. Why bother coming for such a short amount of time? Dekomori couldn't figure it out.

When Dekomori finally reached her destination, she hesitated. She felt uncharacteristically nervous. _If Yuuta was right, Fake Summer might still be really angry. Maybe I shouldn't_ _go... _Nonsense,_ I am the mighty Mjolnir Hammer and I won't be intimidated by some fake! I can do this. _She took a deep breath and knocked on the door. She waited until she heard a voice say, "come in", to enter.

There were many students scattered about the club room. They were spread out in small groups, each one wearing costumes of a different theme. Dekomori looked around, but she failed to spot Nibutani among the large crowd of students. A tall third year girl with short black hair and blue eyes approached Dekomori. She wore a distinctive samurai costume. "How can I help you?" she asked politely.

"I'm looking for fake Mor-, I mean, I'm looking for Shinka Nibutani. Is she here?" Dekomori asked. She had forced herself to develop the habit of speaking "normally" around those she didn't know. Dekomori felt comfortable conversing how she usually did around friends and classmates, but she felt less comfortable around strangers, especially those who were older than her.

"And you are…?" the tall girl inquired.

"Sanae Dekomori. Nibutani also belongs to the Far East Magic Napping Society of Summer, and we were wondering about her whereabouts this afternoon."

"Ah, you must be that first year that Nibutani is always complaining about. You're a lot different than she described." the other girl laughed. "I expected you to be some obnoxious crazy person." Dekomori's eye twitched. She'd get back at Nibutani for that one later.

"I hate to tell you this, but we haven't seen her either. Well at least after she stormed out of here earlier." the girl continued. "She looked pissed off about something though." Dekomori concluded that it was probably the surprise she had left Nibutani on her costume that had caused her to leave. It explained why Nibutani had shown up at the club room, but was that really the source of her anger? Dekomori wasn't convinced.

"Thank you." Dekomori said. "I apologize for the intrusion." Dekomori bowed and excused herself from the theatre club room. _That stupid fake isn't here either. Did she go home already? _Dekomori felt disappointed. She had hoped to see Nibutani so she could tell her about the tournament and maybe get some answers to her questions, but Dekomori had no choice but to put it off until the next day. Not wanting to return to the magic club, Dekomori decided to head home for the day.

* * *

The next day, Dekomori arrived at school with fresh determination. Today she was going find fake Mori Summer and ambush her. The older girl would definitely want to join the tournament if it meant getting her revenge on Dekomori. Nibutani couldn't possibly be as angry as yesterday, so now was the perfect chance to strike. _Geheheh I'll make sure to surprise fake Summer as payback for yesterday. She won't see it coming! _Dekomori felt incredibly excited about her plan. She marched through the hallways, a huge smile on her face.

Upon reaching her classroom, Dekomori flung the door open enthusiastically, surprising her fellow classmates. She walked to her desk, a noticeable spring in her step, and sat down. One of her classmates, a petite girl with light brown, shoulder length hair, approached her and said, "Wow, Sanae, you look really happy today. Did something happen?"

Dekomori grinned and replied, "Today is the day I take down the imposter once and for all! Her magic will no longer be used for evil!" Dekomori laughed confidently.

"Huh? Imposter? Magic? What are you talking about?" the confused girl asked. Dekomori was too absorbed in her thoughts about her proposed ambush to answer. Eventually the girl grew tired of attempting to get Dekomori's attention and wandered off. Dekomori was successfully ousted out of her daydreaming when Mitsuki entered the classroom and tapped Dekomori's desk.

"Good morning, Master!" Mitsuki greeted cheerfully, "How are you doing today?" Dekomori slammed her hands on her desk and leaned forward. "Today is a very important day, my servant," Dekomori stressed, "We have a mission that will take place directly after class! We only have a short window of time before we miss our opportunity, so we'll need to move as quickly as possible! We cannot afford to miss out on the chance to rid the world of the fake and her corrupted magic!" Mitsuki squealed and jumped up and down, excited at the prospect of helping Dekomori with her plans.

As soon as the bell rang, indicating the end of the class period, Dekomori and Mitsuki rushed out the door and headed for the exit of the building. They crouched beside a nearby wall. "Fake Summer passes by here every day on her way to lunch. This is where we'll set up our ambush." Dekomori explained. Mitsuki listened intently. "I need you to keep a look out and tell me when she approaches. When she's about to turn the corner, I'll stick my leg out and she'll fall like the fake she is!"

"Of course, Master!" Mitsuki responded. She leaned slightly around the corner, keeping an eye out for the second year. A minute or two passed before Mitsuki exclaimed, "I see her, Master! Nibutani is approaching and at an increased velocity, I might add." Dekomori snickered to herself and listened carefully. As soon as she heard the sound of rapid footsteps, she stuck her leg out from the corner. She heard a loud thud.

She looked towards the source of the noise, and she saw Nibutani lying face down on the ground, having tripped over Dekomori's leg. Nibutani turned and looked at Dekomori, her eyes filled with confusion and disbelief, not fully comprehending what had just happened to her. _My plan worked! What are you going to do about it, Fake Summer?_

"Geheheh, you have fallen into my trap yet again, fake Mori Summer! You fall so easily! You cannot possibly hope to survive in the tournament with your lack of skill!" Dekomori snickered. This was bound to sufficiently rile Nibutani up. Dekomori noticed Nibutani's jaw clench in anger. She was finally about to see the other girl act normally again.

Nibutani looked as though she wanted to retort, but she was cut short when Mitsuki cheered, "You're so amazing, Master! You took down the imposter in one strike, and she didn't even see it coming!" Dekomori felt a rush of confidence.

_That's right, the fake was bested by me again! There's no way she won't retaliate now! I know how she hates to lose. _Dekomori glanced at Nibutani, and she was slightly surprised at the other girl's reaction. Nibutani stared into space, avoiding eye contact with the two younger girls, and said nothing. _Hmm this is odd behavior coming from the fake. Maybe she needs another push…_

"You're awfully quiet today, Fake Summer!" Dekomori exclaimed in one last attempt to shake Nibutani out of whatever rut she was stuck in, "Do you finally give up and accept defeat at the hands of the Mjolnir Hammer? It's about time you recog-" Dekomori trailed off when she heard a sound come from Nibutani. It seemed like she had said something, but it had been too quiet for Dekomori to hear. Dekomori felt confused, and she waited for the brown haired girl to clarify on what she had just said.

Suddenly, Nibutani stood up and commanded loudly and clearly, "Don't talk to me. Leave me alone. I don't want to see your stupid face. Just go away!" Dekomori felt her heart crash in her chest. She stared at Nibutani, unable to comprehend the words just spoken to her. When their eyes met, Nibutani glared at her, and then she turned around and stomped away. Dekomori felt tears form in the corners of her eyes. She was used to Nibutani yelling at her during their fights, but never before had Nibutani's words held so much venom in them. They felt so sincerely bitter when she spat them out.

Dekomori felt a hand on her shoulder. "Master…" Mitsuki looked at Dekomori, worry etched across her face. Dekomori shook slightly and her lips trembled. "I-I'm fine, it's okay." Dekomori said, her voice wavering. She smiled weakly and attempted to give a thumbs up, but her arms were shaking too much.

"Master, you're crying..." Mitsuki pointed out. Dekomori brought a hand up to her left cheek. It felt wet. Dekomori hadn't noticed the tears that streamed down her face. She laughed faintly, "I-It's okay. I'm not crying. Fake Mori Summer must have cast a debilitating spell on me in an attempt to weaken my body." Dekomori's voice fell to a whisper, "She must feel insecure about her ability to defeat me." She suddenly felt the urge to run far away, until she could no longer bear to run anymore.

Dekomori stood up and muttered, "Let's head back to class. Lunch will be ending soon. Missing class results in less information we could use for battle…" Dekomori stalked off before Mitsuki could say anything. The purple haired girl followed silently behind her.

* * *

Dekomori sat alone in the club room. She had come up earlier than she usually would, hoping to avoid being questioned by her classmates about her decline in mood. Dekomori wondered if Nibutani would visit the club this afternoon. She doubted it, considering what had happened between them. Dekomori sighed. _I don't understand what I did wrong. Fake Summer has never gotten this angry before. I don't understand…_ Dekomori felt tears well up again. She stared out the window and tried to distract herself from her aching heart.

Dekomori heard the door to the club room slide open. She turned and saw Mitsuki walk in, her expression solemn. She walked over to Dekomori and sat beside her. They sat in silence. Both girls gazed out the window at the courtyard below. Classes had just gotten out and many students were gathered in the yard. They stood in small groups, chatting and laughing with their friends. Dekomori sighed wistfully. Maybe if she had heeded Yuuta's advice and stayed away from Nibutani, things would have been fine. They could have all stood laughing with each other like the students down below. Dekomori longed for the normal times to return.

"You shouldn't let what she said get to you." Mitsuki's voice cut through the silence. "It was wrong of her to yell at you like that. I don't know what her problem is, but she shouldn't take it out on you. It isn't fair." Dekomori didn't answer. Was Mitsuki right about that? Did she truly not deserve the anger that was directed at her? Dekomori wasn't so sure of that.

Even though she had a companion sitting right beside her, Dekomori hadn't felt this lonely in a long time. It reminded her of her days before she met Rikka. She had always been popular with the students around her, but they had liked her for her high scores on tests and her generosity. No one seemed to understand who she really was. It wasn't until she met Rikka, that she felt like she belonged somewhere. The loneliness she had felt growing up suddenly disappeared with the addition of her internet friends. When Dekomori finally got to meet Rikka, and later, Mori Summer, she couldn't have felt happier.

But then Rikka became involved with the Dark Flame Master, and she suddenly had less energy to focus on Dekomori, who slowly felt her happiness slip away. It managed to slip through her fingers no matter how tightly she grasped at it. The loneliness crept back into her life and it hurt. She had grown dependent on Rikka's company, and now the other girl was heading in a direction that Dekomori could not follow. It pained her, but there was nothing she could do about it, no matter how hard she tried. She loved Rikka and would support her no matter what, even if it meant casting aside her own feelings.

It wasn't until Nibutani became a significant figure in her life that she began to feel her suffering disappear. The days Rikka had given up on her chuunibyou had been agonizing for Dekomori. Seeing Rikka deny who she really was had broken her heart. She vividly remembered Nibutani holding her in her arms one day, trying to calm her down from a crying fit. Dekomori had felt a sense of security in the arms of her rival, though it had come too late. She had suffered to the point of giving up as well.

When Rikka finally accepted her chuunibyou again, everything returned to normal. Only one thing remained changed, and that was the way Dekomori felt about her companion. Dekomori would never forget the feeling she had when Nibutani comforted her. As time went on, she felt her attachment shift from Rikka to the older girl. They spent more time together, fighting mostly, but that never mattered to Dekomori because it made her happy. It was fun chasing Nibutani around and she genuinely enjoyed it when Nibutani chased her back. It felt like they had bonded. It was a strange bond, but it was there nevertheless. It was a bond that grew more intense with time. Dekomori never expected to fall in love with Nibutani, but it happened, and it happened quickly.

Dekomori smiled fondly at her memories with Nibutani. They truly were some of the most enjoyable moments of her life. Her smile faltered, however, when she remembered the issue at hand. Dekomori wasn't sure if they'd ever recover. The idea of them never patching up their seemingly severed bond terrified her. Dekomori didn't want to feel alone again. She wasn't sure if she could handle the overwhelming loneliness she had felt before.

"Sanae." Dekomori heard her name called. Mitsuki was looking at her as if she could read her thoughts. "Worrying about her isn't going to change anything," Mitsuki insisted, "If she doesn't want you around, there's nothing you can do about it. You should just forget about her. You have other people who really care about you." Mitsuki's words stung. Did Nibutani really not care about her? Dekomori felt confused. They were fine before and now suddenly everything was backwards. No matter how hard Dekomori thought about it, she couldn't understand why Nibutani was so upset with her.

Dekomori's thoughts were interrupted when she heard the door slide open for a second time. Rikka, Yuuta, and Kumin walked into the club room. They seemed to have noticed the negative atmosphere because they looked tense and uncomfortable. They walked over to the table in the room, set their bags down, and sat down around it. No one seemed to know what to say.

Yuuta eventually broke the silence, "Did something happen? Is it about Nibutani?" Mitsuki nodded and answered, "It's better that we don't talk about it. It was a messy situation." Yuuta nodded back in understanding.

"Now that I think about it, I do remember seeing Nibutani this morning." Kumin chimed in. Dekomori's ears perked up. "I bumped into her at the shopping district this morning after I bought a new pillow. She still seemed off. She suddenly ran off in the middle of our conversation. She looked really uncomfortable." Kumin explained, worried. Dekomori frowned. That only made her have more questions.

"What about the tournament?" Rikka asked. "Is that going to be cancelled now that Nibutani is indisposed?" Dekomori thought that that might be the best course of action. There was no point to the tournament if there were members missing.

"No, I'll try to talk to Nibutani about it before class. Hopefully she'll show up. It's best to keep to our original plans. We don't want to put pressure on her by suddenly making her our primary focus." Yuuta answered. "Understood." Rikka replied.

Dekomori had a feeling that Nibutani wouldn't show up, even if asked to. The thought upset her. "I'm going home." Dekomori announced quietly. She didn't want to be there anymore, especially if the group was going to continue to talk about Nibutani. She gathered her things and left the room, without a single goodbye. Dekomori walked home, feeling disheartened.

* * *

Sunday had passed by slowly since Dekomori had spent most of it sulking. The conflict with Nibutani was still fresh in her mind, and Dekomori had little interest in doing anything. It was Monday morning, and today was the day that the tournament was supposed to be held. Yuuta had promised to ask Nibutani about it before class started, but Dekomori wondered if he'd actually go through with it. Curiosity got the better of her, and she decided to check Nibutani's classroom to see if she was there yet.

Dekomori made her way to the second floor, where the second years had their classes. She stopped abruptly before reaching class 2-4, the class shared by Nibutani, Yuuta, and Rikka. Dekomori hesitated, wondering if this was a good idea after all, but ultimately decided to press on anyway. She approached the classroom and peaked inside through the window. She spotted Nibutani sitting at her desk.

Dekomori felt her heart leap. She hadn't seen the other girl since the incident in the hallway. Nibutani was slouched over her desk, scribbling something down on a piece of paper. Dekomori yearned to go up to the girl, but she knew that would only cause trouble. "Don't worry, I'll talk to her." Dekomori heard a voice behind her. It belonged to Yuuta. Dekomori nodded and watched Yuuta enter the classroom and approach Nibutani.

Yuuta tapped Nibutani lightly on the shoulder. The brown haired girl didn't budge from her position, but she must have said something because Yuuta's mouth began moving. He talked for a few minutes and then sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He looked frustrated. Dekomori assumed that he had failed to get across to Nibutani. Yuuta caught Dekomori's eyes and mouthed the word "sorry". Dekomori frowned, took one last glance at Nibutani's slouched figure, and then turned and walked away towards her own classroom. She wasn't surprised about what happened, but she still felt disappointed.

When Dekomori reached her own classroom, she went to her desk and laid her head on top of it. She hoped no one would try to talk to her. She wasn't in the mood to converse with anyone. Dekomori's hopes were dashed when she felt someone poke the top of her head. She looked up to see Mitsuki looking down at her curiously. "Hey." Mitsuki greeted, "How are you feeling?" Dekomori groaned, "Like death.."

Dekomori put her head back down on her desk. She heard Mitsuki say, "Don't forget, we have the tournament after school today. That should cheer you up." Dekomori didn't hear anything else after that, so she assumed that the purple haired girl had returned to her seat. She sighed. _This tournament was meant to bring fake Summer and I together in battle. I can't fight her if she won't show up. I can't fight her if she doesn't want me around…._

The door to the classroom opened, and the teacher walked in, ready to give today's lecture. Dekomori forced herself to push her thoughts aside so she could last thing she wanted right now was to fall behind on her schoolwork. Dekomori managed to work diligently until the bell rang. She put away her things and walked with Mitsuki to the club room. They had a tournament to put on.

* * *

The members of the Far East Magic Napping Society of Summer sat around the small table that belonged in the room, waiting to see if the last missing member would show up. They sat there for what felt like an eternity, making small talk with each other. Eventually, Mitsuki stood up and cleared her voice, "I think we've waited long enough. It doesn't look like Nibutani is going to show. We'll have to start the tournament without her." Dekomori's heart sunk. Deep down she had still hoped that Nibutani would show up.

"Can we do this with just five people?" Yuuta asked. "This tournament is supposed to have brackets. We only have five, so one is left without a partner." Dekomori had set it up so she would fight Nibutani in the first round. She didn't want to risk losing before she had the opportunity to face off against fake Mori Summer. Since the second year was absent, the tournament had lost its purpose.

"Let me sit out." Dekomori requested. "I was the one who was supposed to fight fake Mori Summer, and she's not here, so it makes sense for me to withdraw from the tournament. It is unfortunate that I will be unable to participate, though I suppose it's a good thing. You wouldn't have survived battle against the Mjolnir Hammer anyway." Dekomori faked a grin. She would never openly admit to being relieved about withdrawing from the tournament. She didn't feel like joining in anymore and it wouldn't be as fun without Nibutani there anyway.

"No, you can't sit out!" Mitsuki shouted. "You were the one who was most excited about this tournament when we sat down and planned it out! It won't be the same if you don't participate!" Dekomori looked down at the ground. The only reason she had been excited was because she had thought it would return Nibutani to normal.

"Hey, if she wants to sit out, then let her." Yuuta replied calmly. "Forcing her into it won't help anything." Mitsuki tensed and balled her fists. "Are you sure you're okay with this, Dekomori?" Rikka asked. "I've never known the Mjolnir Hammer to turn down a chance to prove her prowess in battle."

"That's not the point…" Mitsuki mumbled. She walked over to Dekomori and stared at her straight in the eye. "You're letting this girl control how you feel! Yeah, she said some nasty stuff to you. So what? Why should it matter what she thinks? She obviously doesn't care about you enough to consider how you might be feeling! You don't need someone like her in your life. The rest of us care about you! Just let her leave if that's what she really wants!" Dekomori winced at her words. What she said couldn't possibly be true. It didn't make sense.

The rest of the group stared at Mitsuki, surprised by her sudden outburst. Yuuta left his place and walked over to Mitsuki, reaching out to grab her shoulder in an attempt to get between her and Dekomori. "I think we should calm down and think this through." he said softly. Mitsuki slapped his hand away before he could make contact with her shoulder. "No!" she thundered. "Nibutani hurt Sanae, and it pains me to see the repercussions of that! She's stupid, she's so stupid..." Mitsuki looked at her feet, her face red with rage. Dekomori felt her own anger rise at the insults directed at Nibutani.

You're wrong…" Dekomori whispered. Her body trembled. "You're wrong!" Mitsuki watched her in shock. "Fake Summer may be bitter and annoying sometimes, but she's always willing to put up with me! She never backs down from a fight because she hates losing! She plays with me every day even though I make her angry! If she didn't care, why would she do these things? Fake Mori Summer may be a fake, but she doesn't let that stop her from doing anything! Even though I've learned about her lies, she still wants to fight with me! If she didn't care, she would have been gone a long time ago! Don't claim to understand what that fake feels! That makes you faker than she is!" Dekomori breathed heavily, her body tired from the sudden explosion of words.

"I won't claim to understand exactly what the fake feels either, but she can't be acting out of malice. I don't know why she's disappearing, but as her long time rival, I will be waiting here until she returns so we can resume our battles." Dekomori moved over to the window and sat down. She was done discussing this matter. The others didn't dare to utter a word, worried that it might provoke Dekomori again.

A few minutes passed before the other occupants in the room began talking again. Dekomori tried to ignore most of it, but she heard Kumin say, "I'll try to talk to Mori Summer. She might listen to me." Dekomori doubted that Nibutani would be so willing to listening to Kumin. Nibutani was known for her stubbornness. Dekomori felt her heart pound in anxiety. She wasn't sure if Nibutani would really return. All she could was wait.

A couple more days passed by, and there was still no sign that Nibutani had any intention of rejoining the group. Dekomori had made an effort to stay away from the second year, no matter how much she longed to see her. If she hoped things would return to normal, she couldn't risk aggravating Nibutani and further. Dekomori wondered if Kumin had managed to get through to her. She doubted it, considering nothing had changed. The days passed by, as dull as ever. Dekomori was beginning to feel her hopes drain. She had expected Nibutani to have returned by now.

Dekomori had taken to spending time as much time alone in the club room as possible. Her usual high spirited self felt tired and defeated. She avoided conversing with the other members. She didn't even feel like talking to Rikka. Dekomori felt a familiar loneliness manifest within her. It was a loneliness that only one person could fix, and that person was now long gone in Dekomori's eyes.

Her friendship with Mitsuki had seemingly become strained as well. It was obvious that the two had opposing opinions about Nibutani. Dekomori felt a prickle of annoyance that the other girl was so quick to antagonize the older girl. It felt awkward being in the same room as her classmate, and Dekomori sometimes noticed the other girl looking at her, as if she wanted to try to talk to her. Dekomori was glad that she never did. She didn't want to put up with another argument about Nibutani.

One day, while she sulked in the club room, she heard the door slide open and Kumin walked in, her expression serious. Dekomori watched her as she walked over to Mitsuki. Kumin tapped her lightly on the shoulder and whispered something in her ear. Mitsuki's eyes lit up in determination. Dekomori wasn't sure what was going on, but she felt an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. She had an inkling that it was about Nibutani. She hoped nothing bad would happen.


	4. Chapter 4

Nibutani took a deep breath. She was standing in front of the door to the roof of the school. Mitsuki was waiting for her on the other side. Nibutani felt her chest tighten. She clenched and unclenched her fists, inhaling and exhaling in short, rapid bursts. _Calm down, Shinka. You can do this. There's no need to feel nervous. It's just friendly conversation with a first year_. Nibutani reached out and grasped the door handle, but her nerves prevented her from turning it right away. She wondered what Mitsuki was going to say to her. Apparently a lot of things had happened involving Dekomori when she was away. She had a feeling it was a direct result of the incident between them.

For a split second, Nibutani considered turning around and walking away, but Kumin had gone to the trouble of setting this meeting up, knowing that they wouldn't have done so themselves, so Nibutani knew that she needed to face the upcoming storm. She swallowed the lump in her throat and turned the handle. As soon as she passed through the threshold, she spotted Mitsuki leaning against the railing a few yards away. The purple haired girl turned and looked at Nibutani. They held each other's gaze for a few moments before Nibutani walked over to Mitsuki and leaned on the railing next to her.

Neither of them seemed keen on being the first to initiate conversation. The air felt heavy and awkward. "I suppose you want to know what's been happening since your disappearance." Mitsuki finally said. "It's true, you've missed a lot." Nibutani nodded. She wasn't surprised. She had been gone for quite a while, and things always seemed to move at a breakneck pace with this particular group of people.

"What's happening with Dekomori?" Nibutani asked. That's all she really cared about at the moment. Anything else could wait until later.

"Well, she's been sulking non-stop since the incident in the hallway." Mitsuki replied. "She barely speaks to anyone." Nibutani sighed. This wasn't news to her. Kumin had told her the exact same thing when they talked in the garden. Is that really all that happened while she was away?

"I can tell by the look on your face that you aren't satisfied with the information I gave you." Mitsuki said. "You probably already knew what was going on, at least at the most basic level. However, there's more to it." Nibutani's ears perked up. _So there is more to it, huh? I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Dekomori is an insecure person after all, and I was a total jerk to her._

"Care to explain?" Nibutani asked. She wasn't in the mood to dance around the subject. She needed a straight answer. Unfortunately, Nibutani wasn't sure if that's what she was going to get.

Mitsuki laughed softly. "It's funny. A part of me doesn't think you deserve to know, but the stronger part of me knows that Dekomori would want me to tell you, so I'll do it for her." Nibutani could feel the familiar presence of jealousy. She did her best to push it away. Now wasn't the best time to get worked up. Nibutani couldn't risk losing control of her emotions at a crucial time like this.

Nibutani looked at Mitsuki expectantly, waiting for her to reveal what she knew. The other girl had fallen silent, seemingly lost in her own thoughts. Nibutani felt annoyed. _Come on… I don't have all day to just sit here and chat aimlessly. I need to resolve this… _"You're lucky." Mitsuki's voice grabbed her attention again. "Sanae's loyalty towards you is unwavering. I was convinced that you had decided to leave for good, so I was surprised when Kumin came up to me and told me that you wanted to talk. But Sanae, she was different. She waited for you. Well, at least as long as she could bear it. I think she's given up at this point. You're lucky that someone is willing to do that for you. It's just too bad that it turned out like it did." Mitsuki paused. She looked like she was debating her next move.

Mitsuki took a deep breath and continued, "Sanae was the first person to show me kindness in a long time. I didn't have many friends in middle school. People were cruel to me, and it was only because I made a stupid foolish mistake. At the time, I didn't know any better. I never thought that people would lash out as maliciously as they did, and for so little. I suppose that's what happens when embarrassing things get spread to the masses." Nibutani pitied the younger girl. Whatever happened was obviously horrible. She could see pain written in Mitsuki's expression.

Nibutani's curiosity got the better of her and she asked, "What happened to you? What did you do that made those people think you deserved to be maltreated?"

Mitsuki's lips formed a sad smile. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell you."

"Remember how I said that I didn't have many friends at my old school? Well that wasn't only a result of what happened. I was never able to fit in before the incident either. I'd always eat my lunch alone, and I never joined any clubs. It never bothered me much before I met Aya. She was this cute girl with long brown hair, kind of like yours, Nibutani. She liked to put flowers in her hair every day. It was very cute!" Mitsuki laughed softly, her story bringing back good memories. Nibutani wondered what happened to this Aya person.

"I met her one day in January. I had gone to the library to study, and she was helping out the librarians. They were understaffed, so she had volunteered to help shelve books. Aya was always kind to everyone she met, and her generosity was something that could rival Sanae's. I remember watching her as she did her job. It was a tedious task, shelving books, but Aya did it with a smile on her face. It was unlike anything I had seen. She must have noticed me watching her because she walked over to the table I was sitting at and sat down next to me. She introduced herself and asked me about what I was studying. I was so used to being alone that I didn't know how to respond. Any other person would have gotten up and left, but she stayed and waited for me to answer. Her smile never left her face." Nibutani listened intently. This girl did have a few similarities to Dekomori. Nibutani kept that thought in the back of her mind. It was bound to be brought up later.

"Aya made an effort to talk to me every day after that. She wasn't even in the same class as I was, but she still came to visit me during breaks. I had apparently underestimated her popularity because once people saw her spending time with me, they started to talk to me as well. I was never as open with them as I was Aya, but it was still nice to be able to communicate with people every day. Our friendship bloomed as time went on and one day she invited me to eat lunch with her and her friends. That's when I really started feeling like I could fit it. It was nice for a while, but eventually, I made one fatal error that ended it all." Mitsuki sighed and closed her eyes. _It must be hard to have to bring up old memories. I don't think she would do it unless she absolutely had to. _It seemed like Mitsuki was lowering her defenses and showing her weak side, but Nibutani felt like there was more to this story than Mitsuki was letting on.

"I eventually developed feelings for Aya. It wasn't something I could change. Feelings just happen naturally, you know? The problem was that I didn't know how to properly express them. Without prior socialization, all I had to go on was what I read in magazines and saw on tv." Nibutani grimaced, remembering that she used to get most of her love advice from manga. She was glad she had knocked that habit.

"I remember writing her a note that detailed my feelings for her. Normally people would put these in their crush's shoe locker to keep it secretive, but I was not aware of that custom at the time. Instead, I walked up to her in front of her whole class and handed her the note. I had used pink stationery and put heart stickers all over the envelope it was in, so it was obvious that it was a love note. I don't think I've ever seen a person that embarrassed before. I remember hearing her classmates snicker behind their hands. She didn't say anything at first, but then she whispered the word 'thanks'. I'm pretty sure I was the only one who heard it. She had smiled at me afterwards, but now that I think about it, the smile was definitely forced. I had walked out of her classroom, feeling more confident than I had ever been before. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't what I had experienced." Mitsuki's voice cracked at the end. She paused to recollect herself. Nibutani could have sworn that she saw tears in the corners of her eyes.

"After that, Aya started avoiding me. When I went to the normal lunch spot, the group wasn't there. I had actually spent most of the lunch period looking for my friends. I never found them. Aya didn't visit me the next day in class either. I noticed that people were whispering to their friends whenever I was around. I'm sure it was about me. I remember faking a cold to get permission to go to the nurse's office. I never ended up there, of course. What I really intended to do was wait outside her classroom and catch her when she was leaving for lunch. That plan was successful, but it didn't turn out like I thought it would. She looked like she had seen a ghost when she saw that I had waited for her. She wouldn't even look me in the eye. She just stared at her feet while her friend talked to me. Well apparently, she had a crush on guy who had witnessed me giving her the love note. Her crush and his friends started making fun of her. She was humiliated. Aya's friends gave me direct orders to stay away from her or they would take my love note and show it to the entire grade. At the time, I didn't fully understand what was happening. I thought it was one big sick joke. So of course I tried to communicate with her. After all, she was my closest friend…" Mitsuki stopped again. Her body started trembling.

"Well, unsurprisingly, her friends followed through with their threat and showed off the contents of my letter. It was a love letter, so I had poured my heart out while writing it. I remember I had written about how happy I was to have met her and how she made me feel less alone. I wrote about the butterflies I got in my stomach whenever I saw her smile and how it made me want to kiss her. It was very personal, and now the whole grade was aware of exactly how I felt. The taunts quickly turned from Aya to me. I was mocked by nearly everyone. I couldn't go a second without someone laughing or throwing things at me. It was awful. The bullying got so bad that there was no other option but to leave school."

_Wow, I had no idea it was that bad…I'm surprised she decided to tell me. I feel like we've gotten a little closer. Maybe we really can be friends... I feel guilty about being suspicious of her. This girl has gotten the short end of the stick more times than she deserves…_ Nibutani put her hand on Mitsuki's shoulder. She could feel the younger girl shaking. Mitsuki looked over at her and smiled, thankful for the small gesture of support.

Mitsuki continued, "I ended up being home schooled for the rest of middle school. During that time, I became determined to change. I couldn't be the shy girl that no one talked to. I couldn't go through it again, so I did my best to make a good impression on the people around me. I tried to smile at everyone like Aya did. I laughed loudly at people's jokes. I hugged people and put my arm around their shoulders. I tried to become an outgoing person that everyone would love. Eventually, my parents presented me with the choice to stay home schooled for high school or go back to public school. The idea of going back to school was scary, so initially I decided to stay at home. I changed my mind, however, when I realized how well I was doing with socializing. I felt like I could finally go and be around classmates again without messing up. That's why I transferred into Sanae's class in the middle of the year."

Nibutani could barely believe what she had heard. This girl in front of her managed to change her whole personality after being mercilessly beaten down. Nibutani was impressed.

Mitsuki smiled. "Meeting Sanae on the first day was quite a shock. When the teacher asked for a volunteer to show me around, her hand shot up immediately. The other students smiled, as if they had expected that kind of behavior from her. I could see how much they all adored her. At that very moment, I saw Aya in her. I'll admit that I was a bit shell shocked when I first realized that. It brought up bad memories, so I became apprehensive about being in her company. While she was showing me around, all I could think about was how this could end up the same as it did before. I wanted to get away. I wanted to find someone who didn't seem like a carbon copy of the very person who had destroyed the little confidence I had in myself. That changed when I learned about her chuunibyou. Suddenly, she wasn't Aya anymore. She was Sanae Dekomori, the Mjolnir Hammer."

"She's kind, generous, and her entire grade loves her, but her chuunibyou makes her so much more than that. She doesn't care how her classmates perceive her. She's happy just being who she is. That's how I know that she's nothing like Aya. Sanae would never be as cruel as Aya was. I don't think she's capable of it. Kissing her was one final way to test that. I took a risk. I knew that it was possible that she would react badly. What surprised me was how happy I felt when I kissed her, and she didn't react badly at all. She was surprised, yes, but she didn't lash out. All she asked of me was to not surprise her like that again, and she even let me join in on her chuunibyou adventures. That's all that really mattered to her in the end. That chuunibyou you're so quick to demonize is what helped me understand that Sanae is the friend I've needed for so long. She treats me better than anyone has before, and I owe her the world for that." Mitsuki sighed and rested her head in her hands. The conversation had taken a lot out of her.

Nibutani wasn't sure what to say, or if she should say anything at all. Hearing Mitsuki mention how she demonized chuunibyou felt like a jab in the gut, though she couldn't completely deny the truth behind it. After a few moments of silence, Nibutani decided to speak up.

"Why did you tell me this?" she asked quietly. Mitsuki lifted her head. She looked exhausted but there was still fire in her eyes. She turned and looked at Nibutani, her expression hardened. Nibutani gulped, suddenly feeling anxious. This girl had transformed right before her eyes. She no longer seemed like the outgoing girl she had met before, and she certainly didn't seem like the shy girl from the story. Mitsuki had an air of ferocity around her.

"Sanae has become someone I hold very dear to my heart," Mitsuki replied, "Seeing her in pain these past few days has been excruciating for me. It reminded me of how I felt when someone I trusted let me down. I'm trying to be there for her, but all she can focus on is you. Words cannot begin to describe how frustrated I've been. Sanae is like I was middle school, wasting her energy on someone who isn't there for her." Nibutani gaped.

"W-Wait, it isn't like you think!" Nibutani insisted. "It wasn't like I wanted to be away from her! I just… I had repressed so much and it was all brought back up when you kissed her. It was overwhelming, and I didn't know how to deal with it, so I ran. I thought it would solve my problems, but it didn't. It only made them worse, and I only realized that recently. It was never my intention to hurt Dekomori." Nibutani felt a sudden burst of fear. Mitsuki's words had shaken her. After hearing a story like that, she was afraid of the effect her actions might have had on Dekomori. Nibutani felt the urge to leave as quickly as possible to find the twin tailed girl.

Mitsuki spoke before Nibutani could decide on her next action, "You say you don't intend to hurt her, but your past actions prove otherwise. From what I've heard, you constantly berate chuunibyou. You must know that it's Sanae's chuunibyou that makes her really happy. Do you even consider her feelings at all?"

Nibutani felt frustration rise, "Don't act like you understand what that's about! You haven't been here long enough to understand anything! I've known Dekomori for a lot longer than you have, and I can tell you right now that she doesn't care what I think about her or anyone else's chuunibyou. Like you said, she doesn't care about how people perceive her. You're right, she truly is happy just being who she is." Nibutani clenched her fists. This girl had a lot of nerve for someone who had just entered their lives a few weeks ago.

Mitsuki laughed softly, "You still fail to understand the most obvious thing. It's true that she's blind to the opinions of outsiders, but there's one person whose opinion is important, and she trusts this person above all others. The fact that you don't understand that at all, makes me worry. Sanae is pouring her trust into someone who's just plain clueless." Nibutani stood there in shock. _It can't be… She can't be talking about me. There's no way I can be the person that idiot trusts the most… Right? _Nibutani felt her heart race. Could it be possible that Dekomori returned her feelings?

Mitsuki's annoyed voice pulled Nibutani back to reality, "Sanae trusts you, yet in the end, you chose to act selfishly, and she got hurt... That proves to me that you don't have her best interests in mind. You're not good for her." Mitsuki's criticism struck a nerve in Nibutani. She felt anger bubble inside her.

"Who are you to decide that?" Nibutani shot back, "You're standing here putting words her mouth! You said it yourself, Dekomori hasn't been speaking to anyone, so how could you possibly know how she's feeling? I wouldn't be surprised if you weren't telling me everything either." Nibutani saw something flicker in Mitsuki's eyes, though she couldn't quite figure out what it was. Nibutani frowned, the previous pity she had felt for the younger girl had faded away.

"You're right." Mitsuki answered. "Why don't you go ask her? She's been waiting for you anyway. She should still be in the club room." Nibutani was about to turn and walk away when she heard Mitsuki speak one last time, "Keep in mind, I will continue to remain by Sanae's side no matter what. Even if you return to the club and even if she forgives you, it won't change my opinion on the matter. I still think she deserves better than you, and I will make sure I'm there when she realizes it."

Nibutani balled her fists. She would love nothing more than to scream every insult she knew at the girl, but she held her tongue. The two girls glared at each other for a few moments before Nibutani decided to make her way to the club room. She crossed her fingers, hoping that Dekomori would still be there.

* * *

Nibutani ran down the stairs that led to the roof, skipping a step with each stride. When she reached the crowded hallway of the second floor, she slowed her pace to a walk, not wanting to get caught running by a teacher. She pushed past a group of students who were blocking the way, and the first thing she saw was the door to a familiar room. A surge of determination rising within her, she marched to the door and flung it open.

Nibutani was greeted by the sight of Yuuta, Rikka, and Kumin sitting around the table. There was no sign that Dekomori was in the room. The two second years looked surprised at Nibutani's sudden appearance, but Kumin smiled, knowing fully well what was going on. "Where's Dekomori?" Nibutani asked. If she wasn't at school, Nibutani would go straight to her house. She needed closure _now._

Yuuta answered, "Dekomori has holed herself up in here every day after class, so we thought we'd send her out for some fresh air. We asked her to go talk to the teachers about letting us put some new things in the club room. She should be back soon." Nibutani nodded. She walked to the other end of the room and leaned against the window. Nibutani pondered how she should deal with this. On her frantic trip from the roof to the clubroom, she had completely forgotten to think about it. She wasn't sure what to say to the younger girl.

_I should just flat out apologize to her… But would she really accept my apology? No, I should do it anyway. She's probably still upset about what happened. I should also try to explain to her why I did what I did. Now that's the hard part… I don't know if I'm ready to reveal my feelings for her. _Her thoughts snapped back to her conversation with Mitsuki. The purple haired girl had warned her that she would remain by Dekomori's side. Nibutani feared that if she waited too long, Mitsuki would win Dekomori over. _I don't know if I can do it today, but the sooner the better. I just need to work up the courage to tell her. But what's important right now is that I patch things up with her. I can figure out the rest later._

Nibutani tapped her foot impatiently. She was getting jittery. Just when she was about to leave the club room and search for the small girl herself, she heard the door slide open. Dekomori walked in, her shoulders slumped forward. She looked tired.

"The teachers said we couldn't put anymore things in here. We already hav-" Dekomori trailed off when she looked up and noticed Nibutani standing at the far end of the room. Her eyes widened. She was dumbstruck.

Nibutani panicked. The moment had come and she was lost on what to say. Nibutani blurted out the first thing that came to mind, "Mjolnir Hammer, I challenge you! I want to test your skill in battle!" Nibutani mentally hit herself. Was that really what she had just said?

Dekomori's face scrunched up. Nibutani couldn't tell if that meant she was angry or not. Suddenly, Dekomori burst from her position and ran towards Nibutani. The younger girl crashed into Nibutani and wrapped her arms around the second year's torso. Dekomori let out a wail, and her body shook as she sobbed. Nibutani felt the other girl's tears soak through her uniform, but she allowed Dekomori to continue crying into her. This wasn't the first time this had happened, so it was a familiar feeling. Nibutani pet the top of the blonde girl's head to calm her down, as she usually would.

After a few minutes, Dekomori's sobs reduced to quiet sniffling until she stopped altogether. The girl looked up at Nibutani. Her eyes were red and puffy and she had tears and snot caked to her face. "Geez, you never stop crying, do you?" Nibutani spoke softly. She grabbed a handkerchief out of her bag and dabbed at Dekomori's face, the corners of her mouth turned slightly upward.

Dekomori pouted, and she removed herself from Nibutani's torso. She grabbed one of the bags at the end of her pigtails and threw it towards Nibutani, successfully hitting the older girl in the face. "That's what you get for keeping me waiting…" Dekomori mumbled. She crossed her arms and looked at the ground.

Nibutani sighed, "I suppose I deserved that. I'm sorry I yelled at you, and I'm sorry that I disappeared. I had a lot I needed to deal with." Nibutani rubbed the back of her neck. It was hard for her to say exactly what she wanted.

Dekomori huffed, "You're such a fake… To make it up to me, you're gonna walk me back to my fortress. I have questions I want answered." Nibutani nodded. That was to be expected.

The door slid open and they heard someone clear their throat, reminding the two girls that they weren't alone in the room. They looked up and saw Mitsuki enter. Nibutani instantly felt the tension rise. The talk on the roof was still fresh in both their minds. Mitsuki's eyes narrowed when she noticed Dekomori standing near Nibutani, her eyes still red and swollen from crying. "I see you've finally reunited." Mitsuki said, her voice low.

Dekomori put her hands on her hips and grinned, "Indeed! I knew Fake Summer wouldn't be able to stay away." The others in the room sighed. They had all been privy to Dekomori's depression during the past few days.

"Oh? Why's your face so red? You look like you've been crying." Mitsuki noted. Dekomori quickly wiped at her face and replied, "It's just the after effects of a spell that fake Mori Summer tried to cast on me! Don't worry, I've managed to survive the sneak attack." Nibutani noticed that Dekomori's eyes didn't match the smile on her face. They gave away the exhaustion the girl felt. Nibutani was impressed that Dekomori managed to pull off that energy.

It seemed like Nibutani wasn't the only one who noticed. She saw disbelief flash in Mitsuki's eyes for a brief second before she said, "I see. Well, I'm happy for you! I'm glad things are back to normal!" Mitsuki giggled. Nibutani's jaw dropped. She was surprised that Mitsuki was able to put her bubbly front back up so quickly. Nibutani felt slightly threatened by that ability.

"Now that everything is sorting itself out, I have a proposition." Yuuta announced. "These past several days have been stressful for everyone, and we could all use a break. I heard that there's some kind of big festival this weekend. It's a few hours outside of town though, so we'd probably need to stay overnight. I thought that it would be a good activity we could do as a club. A hotel room might be expensive though..."

Dekomori beamed, "Leave it to me! I have ways of attaining money. I can't reveal how, but I shall make sure we have what we need!" She winked and gave a thumbs up.

Nibutani sighed, "You're just going to ask your parents to pay for the hotel, aren't you?"

"O-Of course not! The Mjolnir Hammer doesn't stoop to such conventional means!" Dekomori spluttered. A blush of embarrassment spread across her face.

"It's only conventional to you because you're filthy rich!" Nibutani retorted.

"Geheheh, you know nothing, Fake Summer." Dekomori snickered. Nibutani growled. She sprang at the younger girl, who managed to dodge out of the way, and chased her around the room. They stopped, however, when Kumin burst into a fit of giggles. Nibutani's eyes narrowed. "What's so funny?" she asked.

Kumin smiled and replied, "I'm just happy to see you two returning to normal. It's been a while." Nibutani shuffled her feet and blushed slightly. "I also seem to remember Deko asking you to take her home," Kumin continued, "You should probably get going. It's going to get dark soon, and I'm sure you have a lot to talk about." The third year winked at Nibutani, whose face turned bright red in response.

Nibutani cleared her throat. "R-Right. Let's go, first year." Nibutani grabbed her things and headed for the door, beckoning for Dekomori to follow her. The twin tailed girl nodded and scrambled after her.

* * *

Dekomori lived further away from school than Nibutani did, so they ended up having to take the train. It was too much of a distance to walk. They sat side by side on the train, looking at anything but each other. Luckily, there weren't many people in their car, so they were able to converse without people overhearing them. But neither of them knew how to start, so they ended up sitting in awkward silence for longer than desired.

_What do I say? Should I tell her now? I know Kumin is expecting that of me, but I'm so nervous. I don't know if I have enough courage to pull it off yet. I wish that first year would just ask me about what she wants to know so I can get it over with. _Nibutani fidgeted in her seat. She considered just bringing it up herself. Sitting here without saying anything was just counterproductive. If she didn't use this chance to talk to her, she risked opening a rift between them.

Nibutani opened her mouth to speak, but Dekomori spoke first, "Why?" It was a simple question that Nibutani saw coming, but for some reason, she found it nearly impossible to answer. She couldn't tell Dekomori why she disappeared without mentioning her feelings for the tiny girl. After all that happened, it just didn't feel like an appropriate time. She needed fix the strain she had put on their friendship first.

"I don't have a proper answer for you right now." Nibutani replied. Dekomori looked disappointed. "I know that's not what you want to hear, but I don't think it's something I should talk about right away. I need to get something else off my chest first." Nibutani took a deep breath before she continued, "I want to apologize again for how I treated you. I shouldn't have screamed at you like I did. I had a lot of pent up emotions, and unfortunately, you got the brunt of it. I should have had better control over my emotions. I'm sorry that I hurt you. I'm not sure what happened when I was gone, but I'll try to fix it." Nibutani closed her eyes and took another deep breath. She waited for Dekomori's response.

"I forgive you." Dekomori replied. Nibutani sighed in relief. That's all she needed to hear. "But I'm not going to tell you everything until you do. When you tell me what was going on in your fake mind that made you leave , that's when I'll tell you what was happening with me." Nibutani nodded. It was fair enough.

They sat in silence until they reached their stop. As they were walking out of the station, Dekomori said, "I wonder if my parents will be willing to pay for a hotel room for all of us." Nibutani laughed. "So you really were going to ask your parents. I figured that was your big secret plan." Nibutani smirked and shoved Dekomori lightly with her shoulder.

"Quiet, Fake Summer! People cannot know of the assets that I have! They may try to use them against me to take me down for good. The Mjolnir Hammer refuses to fall on her own blade!" Dekomori shouted back. "And don't push me!" The first year pushed Nibutani with both her hands, and as Nibutani fell, she ran off ahead.

"You little troll…" Nibutani hissed. "Get back here!" she charged after Dekomori, a relieved grin on her face. Their shouts echoed across the entire neighborhood.


	5. Chapter 5

"You really need to do something about this, Yuuta. There are other people around, you know," Nibutani mumbled.

The group was headed to a festival outside of town, having received assistance from Dekomori's parents for the hotel room expenses, and were currently riding the train there. Nibutani and Dekomori were sitting together with Rikka and Yuuta sitting across from them. Kumin and Mitsuki were sitting behind the two girls.

Rikka was sticking her head out the window. She shouted, "With the speed of this vehicle, I'll be able to accelerate at a sufficient rate to catch the light beings! They cannot escape the wrath of the Wicked Eye!" She leaned further out the window and waved her arms in intricate motions, causing strangers around them to stare.

"Seriously, Yuuta, control your girlfriend," Nibutani scolded. It was embarrassing to attract this much attention.

"Not until you control yours," Yuuta replied. He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, attempting to ignore the commotion.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Nibutani looked at the occupied seat next to her, and she noticed a certain blonde girl also sticking her head out the window. Nibutani paled.

Dekomori smiled blissfully, her pigtails being carried by the breeze. "Look how gracefully Dekomori sways in the wind," she sighed happily.

"Hey, knock that off, you idiot!" Nibutani hissed. She attempted to pull Dekomori back into the confines of the train car, but she stopped abruptly when she remembered something that had momentarily flown over her head.

Nibutani whipped her body around to face Yuuta once again. "W-What did you mean by that?! S-She's not my girlfriend!" Nibutani stammered. Yuuta shrugged in response. Nibutani hid her face in her hands, embarrassed by the implications.

_Oh god, why did he say that? That's so embarrassing! It's one thing to hear something like that from Kumin, but hearing it come from Yuuta is ten times worse! I hope that idiot first year didn't hear anything…_ Nibutani glanced back at Dekomori, who was too busy with her activities to hear anything that was said inside. She sighed in relief. She decided to ignore the twin tailed girl and let her continue on with whatever she was doing.

Nibutani heard a giggle behind her. She turned around and saw Kumin leaning over the top of her seat, smiling widely.

"You're so sweet, Mori Summer. You let Deko stick her head out the window even though it embarrasses you," Kumin said, a twinkle in her eyes.

Nibutani turned red. "You be quiet!" she retorted.

Nibutani turned back around and crossed her arms. She could have sworn she heard Mitsuki snort in annoyance. The purple haired girl had barely said anything since their trip began. Dekomori sat next to Nibutani when they boarded the train, which caused Mitsuki to fall into a foul mood. Nibutani groaned. This was going to be a long ride.

Nibutani spent most of the trip trying to keep Dekomori under control. The younger girl was practically jumping off the walls. She couldn't seem to contain her excitement. Nibutani could feel her energy drain as the hours passed by.

They arrived at their destination after a four hour long trip. It had been hectic. Rikka and Dekomori's seemingly endless amounts of energy had gotten the group in trouble more than once. Many people had walked over to them, requesting that the two girls keep their voices down. Nibutani had done her best to hide the overwhelming embarrassment she felt.

When the train finally stopped, the group grabbed their belongings and made their way through the bustling station. Upon exiting, Dekomori marched down the sidewalk, not giving the others time to figure out where they should be going. She beckoned, "Follow me everyone! Only I know the way to our temporary headquarters! Your fate lies in my hands!" The first year turned and walked away, her laughter ringing out.

"Wait for me, Master!" Mitsuki shouted. She ran after Dekomori. She seemed to have recovered from her previous melancholy. The rest of the group trudged after them, tired out from the long train ride.

They walked down the busy streets, taking in the sights before them. They strolled in the middle of a large shopping district. The shops and restaurants in the area were preparing for the festival, hanging various decorations in the windows. The streets were lively. Nibutani could see people setting up booths in a nearby park. Everyone seemed caught up in the excitement of the day's activities. Many people already donned colorful yukatas with floral designs.

"Were we supposed to dress up?" Nibutani asked. "I didn't bring my yukata…" Nibutani felt out of place amongst all of the beautiful clothing that people were wearing for the festival. It felt strange to be dressed so casually.

"I think it'll be okay. It's not a big national holiday, so we should be fine." Yuuta replied. Nibutani nodded. She hoped he was right. It would undoubtedly feel awkward being the only ones underdressed.

Eventually, Dekomori, who had been walking with Mitsuki in front of the rest of the group, stopped in her tracks. "We have arrived! You should thank me for insuring your safe arrival!" Dekomori grinned.

"Thank you, Master!" Mitsuki replied enthusiastically. Nibutani rolled her eyes. The younger girl was acting like an overly excited puppy.

Nibutani paused. Something wasn't right. "This can't be it, can it?" Nibutani asked, confused. She looked around, but she couldn't seem to find anything remotely close to a hotel like they usually would stay in. They had left the shopping district a short time ago, and it looked like they had entered a rich district of the city. Tall skyscrapers towered over them. The people around them were no longer dressed like those in the shopping district. They were still dressed well, but instead of charming yukatas, they wore lavish business suits. This environment was definitely not suited for a group of high school students.

"Where are we?" Nibutani inquired. They stood in front of a very fancy looking building. A large fountain sat near the entrance. Bellhops in well-tailored uniforms were carrying luggage out from expensive cars. Nibutani looked up and saw that the building extended upwards for about 24 floors. Nibutani's jaw dropped. There was no way this was actually happening.

Dekomori confirmed Nibutani's thoughts. "This is the hotel, The Grand Palace. It's the only place fitting for someone like the Mjolnir Hammer! My temporary headquarters must feel as sturdy as my fortress at home! No corrupted beings will be able to get past these defenses!" Dekomori laughed triumphantly.

"Good work, Dekomori." Rikka said in approval. The two girls exchanged a high five.

"Hold on a moment… I know your family is super rich, but this is just ridiculous" Nibutani said incredulously. "This is a luxury hotel! It must cost a fortune to stay here, even for just one night! Are you sure it's okay that we're here?"

Yuuta sighed. "I wouldn't even question it. Let's just go along with it."

"That's right!" Dekomori agreed. "You should listen to the Dark Flame Master more often! Fakes like you always get riled up by the most trivial things. This is why you can never reach the greatness achieved by the Mjolnir Hammer and her trusty companions." Nibutani growled and tugged at Dekomori's pigtails, causing the younger girl to squeal in pain.

Amidst all the confusion, the group failed to notice a middle aged man, dressed in an expensive suit, standing a few feet away. He was watching the group in amusement.

He cleared his throat, which successfully grabbed the attention of the high schoolers. He said, "Miss Sanae, my name is Kazuhiro Oshiro. I'm a close friend of your father's and the owner of this establishment. He has requested that I show you and your friends to your room and make sure you're accommodated with the many facilities we have here at The Grand Palace." He smiled and bowed slightly.

"Very well," Dekomori acknowledged. She trotted after the man as he walked towards the entrance, Mitsuki and Rikka in tow. They seemed unfazed by the grandeur of the hotel. A smiling Kumin pushed Yuuta and Nibutani in the direction of the rest of the group as they continued to gawk at their surroundings.

Once everyone was gathered in the main lobby, the manager began his tour, "This hotel offers a wide variety of facilities. Here on the first floor, we have five distinct restaurants, a lounge, a gym, and a spa. We also house one of the largest indoor pools in the city. Feel free to use these as much as you want. Miss Sanae's father assured us that he will cover any expenses." Nibutani shook her head in disbelief.

_Unbelievable. This is just unbelievable. I probably won't have an experience like this ever again. I guess there is some good in being close to that idiot… _As rich as the family seemed, Nibutani thought it might be best to be careful about what they ended up charging. The hotel room was probably expensive enough as it is.

"If you follow me, I'll take you up to your room." The group followed Kazuhiro into a spacious elevator. He hit the button labeled 24.

"The top floor is the only floor with it's own unique bathhouse," he continued, "Not many people end up using it, so you shouldn't have to worry about it being crowded." The elevator dinged and the doors opened. They stepped out and walked down a long hallway. Intricate paintings lined the wall, and crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. The walked until they reached a door with the number 2401 on the front.

"This is one of the hotel's best suites. Please enjoy your stay." The manager handed Dekomori the room key and a spare, bowed, and left. Dekomori inserted the room key and opened the door.

The entered a large room that looked more like a house than a hotel room. A wooden circular table sat in the middle of the room, covered in a white silk tablecloth and fine china. Windows spread across the entirety of the furthest wall, giving them a beautiful view of the city. A grey sofa was placed in front of a wide screen tv in the leftmost part of the area. To their right, a short hallway led to more rooms.

"Wow, this is incredible," Yuuta gazed in awe. Nibutani could only nod in agreement. She shuffled her feet and could feel soft, plush carpet underneath them.

"Hey, there are bedrooms over here!" Mitsuki called out. Her and Kumin had gone to check down the hallway. "They have these huge beds in them! There's a bathroom, and everything is marble in it, and there's a fancy bathtub!" she gushed. She dragged Kumin into one of the rooms. Her excited shouts could be heard from the entrance.

"Geheheh, this is perfect!" Dekomori declared. "We should secure the perimeter and set up our defenses!" Rikka nodded, and the two girls ran around the room.

"We still have a couple of hours before we need to start heading back to the shopping district for the festival." Yuuta noted. "I suppose I could use this time to check out the facilities on the first floor." He beckoned for Rikka to follow him, who complied happily. The two girls who had previously been exploring the other rooms, came out to join the rest of the group.

"I think I'm going to rest for a bit before we have to head out," Nibutani announced. "The trip tired me out." Watching over an energetic girl with chuunibyou for four hours would tire anyone out. Nibutani also needed to mentally prepare herself for later on. Couples often used these events as an opportunity to be alone together, so festivals tended to have an intimate feel to them. Maybe she could use the event as an excuse to spend extra time with the blonde first year

Kumin seemed to have read Nibutani's mind. She grabbed Mitsuki and said, "We're going to go down with Yuuta and Rikka to see some of the hotel's facilities." She smiled and winked at Nibutani. Mitsuki tried to protest, but she was powerless as a giggling Kumin shoved her out the door. There was an audible sound as the hotel door clicked shut, leaving Nibutani alone with Dekomori.

"You're not going with them?" Nibutani asked the short girl. Being alone with her made Nibutani nervous

"Anything I would find here, I can find at my fortress," Dekomori answered. "There is no need for me to explore this temporary headquarters since I am already aware of what it contains. Plus, I can't leave you alone. You might try to set up a trap to ambush me!" Dekomori crossed her arms and eyed Nibutani suspiciously.

Nibutani pinched the bridge of her nose. She decided to ignore the younger girl, and she opted to explore the rest of the rooms instead. She walked down the hallway and entered the first bedroom to her left. It had a large king sized bed and its own tv.

"The other bedroom is bigger, but it has two queens" Nibutani heard Dekomori say. The twin tailed girl had followed her down the hall.

"Are you just going to follow me everywhere? Whatever it is you think I'm going to do, it won't happen," Nibutani said.

"I can't afford to risk it. I can never tell what wicked things you'll come up with next, Fake Summer," Dekomori answered. Nibutani sighed. That girl was going to do whatever she pleased, so there was no point in trying to stop her.

Nibutani wondered about sleeping arrangements. They would have to figure it out eventually. There were only three beds in the suite, so they would have to share. Nibutani reddened at the thought of sharing a bed with Dekomori.

The first year walked up to Nibutani and poked her cheek. "Your face is red. Are you thinking impure thoughts again?" she asked. Nibutani swiped Dekomori's hand away.

"No! Just shut up!" Nibutani exclaimed. Dekomori snickered to herself. Nibutani sat on the bed and sighed. She leaned back and sprawled across it. She considered asking Dekomori to walk around the festival together. It might help ease any awkwardness that might still reside between the two of them. Ever since she accepted her feelings for the younger girl, she yearned to spend more time with her. Nibutani sighed. That was a pretty normal thing to feel, but since she was considered Dekomori's rival, asking to spend time with her seemed like it would make her feelings obvious.

"Hey…" Nibutani started. She caught Dekomori's eyes, and her heart leapt in her chest. The blonde girl waited expectantly for her to continue. Taking the risk now and getting it over with seemed like the best course of action.

"We've never hung out at a festival before. I mean, just the two of us." Nibutani went on. Her heart beat rapidly. It was now or never. There probably couldn't be a better excuse to hang out alone than during a festival

"What are you getting at, fake Mori Summer?" Dekomori asked. She placed her hands on her hips.

"W-Well, since we never spend much time together outside of the club, I was curious about what you like to do, so I thought it might be interesting to go around the booths together. Plus, it might help us get used to being around each other again after what happened..." Nibutani blabbered on. She felt her palms getting sweaty.

Dekomori flushed slightly. She tilted her head down, preventing Nibutani from seeing her facial expression. Nibutani felt momentarily panicked.

_Did I come on too strong and freak her out? This isn't good. Dammit, Shinka, you should have waited longer before bringing up something like this. It's too soon since the incident. She's probably really confused…_

Suddenly, Dekomori's head shot up and she burst into a fit of loud, obnoxious laughter. "Nice try, Fake Summer! I can see through your facade of goodness! You mean to catch me when my back is turned! I see your true wicked intentions!"

"Oh, forget it!" Nibutani yelled. She sprang off the bed, and stomped past Dekomori, who tried to attack her on her way out. Nibutani frowned. The whole thing had flown over the first year's head, so Nibutani felt silly for worrying about it in the first place. Dekomori seemed oblivious to romantic feelings.

"You'll never defeat me, you fake!" Dekomori shouted as the two walked down the hall.

"Whatever. Let's just go get the others. We should get ready to go soon." Nibutani replied, annoyed with the whole situation. Her hopes of spending time with Dekomori were dashed.

* * *

The group strolled down the streets of the shopping district. In the dark, they relied on the glow of lanterns hanging from booths. It was busy, and many people were dressed up for the occasion. Fortunately, they weren't the only ones who chose to forgo wearing festival clothing. There were many activities to choose from. Many booths sold food or had some sort of game one could play for small prizes. Skits were being performed on a small stage nearby.

"Geez, where should we even start?" Nibutani asked. There was so much to do.

Kumin spoke up before anyone else could answer, "I think it would be fun if we split into groups! That way it'll be like mock dates, which seems a lot more exciting than going as a big group!" The third year smiled.

"I want to go with Master!" Mitsuki said immediately. She linked her arm with Dekomori, who appeared slightly nervous. Nibutani felt anger rise within her. There was no way she was going to let that happen.

"I don't think that's a very good idea." Nibutani countered. "I think we should stick together as a group." Nibutani and Mitsuki glared daggers at each other. Kumin smiled knowingly.

The short haired girl walked over to Dekomori and whispered something in her ear. Dekomori immediately reddened. She pulled her arm free, and she turned and muttered a low "sorry" to Mitsuki before walking over to Nibutani. Dekomori grabbed her arm and dragged her away from the rest of the group, her face still red.

When they were far enough away that they could no longer see the others, Dekomori released Nibutani's arm. The brown haired girl rubbed the spot where Dekomori's hand had grasped, sore from being pulled at.

"What was that for?" Nibutani asked. She wondered what Kumin had said to Dekomori that made her act out so quickly.

"Kumin told me to come with you." Dekomori mumbled. Nibutani felt her stomach drop. She hoped that Kumin hadn't revealed anything she intended to say herself.

Dekomori continued, "She told me that the reason she brought up the idea of splitting into groups was because she wanted to walk around with Mitsuki. I wonder if she's interested in her…" Nibutani sighed. Kumin was too good a friend and way too good at reading people's moods. It was obvious that Kumin used that story as an excuse to keep Mitsuki away.

"Who knows," Nibutani replied. "Well, we're here now, so we might as well make the most of it. What do you want to do?"

Dekomori looked around and pointed to a specific booth. "I'm hungry! Buy me takoyaki!" Dekomori demanded. Nibutani groaned and pulled the younger girl over to the stand. She purchased six takoyaki for each of them.

Dekomori grinned happily and shoved the first takoyaki into her mouth. Her face turned red, and she shouted, "Hot! Fire demons are ambushing me! It burns like death!" She fanned her burnt tongue with her hand. When she finally managed to swallow her food, she immediately ate another one, producing the same result.

Dekomori looked over at Nibutani, showing off her burnt tongue and giving her best sad face. "Then stop eating them so quickly!" Nibutani snapped. She tugged at the younger girl's cheek. Dekomori pouted.

Out of the corner of her eye, Nibutani spotted a man at a booth waving them over. The two girls approached. The booth showed off a variety of small toys, each one connected to a string. It looked like some sort of game.

"Care to try your luck? Pull a string and win a prize!" the man explained. Dekomori beamed and nodded. The man pointed to a bundle of strings. The twin tailed girl carefully mulled over each option.

"My power shall reveal to me which string is best choice!" Dekomori announced. She grabbed the one furthest to the right and tugged at it. The string was wrapped around a small bear plushie.

"All right!" Dekomori cheered. Nibutani watched the tiny girl with a smile on her face, as Dekomori jumped up and down, proclaiming to the world about how great her power was. The display of excitement was cute, and Nibutani felt her cheeks heat up as she watched.

Dekomori trotted over to Nibutani and shoved the toy in the older girl's face. "Look! My powers have granted me this totem!" Dekomori said excitedly. "You can have it though." She handed Nibutani the toy.

Nibutani's eyes widened. "For me? Why?" she asked. Nibutani's heart beat faster. Why was the tiny girl giving this to her? What did it mean?

"You need its power more than I do!" Dekomori answered. "I am already mighty and powerful, but you're only a fake, so you could really use a power boost." Nibutani growled. Of course that was the reason. Nibutani cursed herself for thinking it could have meant something else.

"You should be thankful that I'm allowing my rival to have such a powerful artifact." Dekomori continued. She seemed pleased with her own generosity. Nibutani, too distracted by her initial disappointment, failed to notice the light blush that spread across the younger girl's cheeks.

"Of course, mighty Mjolnir Hammer," Nibutani said sarcastically. "How will I ever thank you for your overwhelming generosity?" Nibutani smiled when she saw Dekomori pout. She shoved the toy bear in her pocket.

"Come on, let's check out the other stalls," Nibutani suggested. Dekomori nodded, agreeing with the proposed plan.

The two girls moved from booth to booth, making sure they didn't miss a single thing. Dekomori stopped at almost every food stall to buy something, which left Nibutani feeling exasperated. The twin tailed girl was bound to get sick if she kept running around after eating as much as she had. Nibutani attempted to keep Dekomori at bay by visiting the booths that held games. She successfully managed to get Dekomori to calm down at the fishing booth. The blonde girl sat there for several minutes, trying to catch a goldfish with a small paper catcher, until she finally accepted defeat and allowed Nibutani to drag her away from the booth.

"Those familiars are slippery beings." Dekomori growled in frustration. Nibutani smiled. The blonde girl had tried many times to catch one of the fishes, but whenever she managed to scoop one up, the paper catcher broke. Every failed attempt had added more fuel to the fire, and Nibutani was almost certain that Dekomori would have been there all night if she hadn't managed to pull the younger girl away.

"Come on, I'll buy you some cotton candy." Nibutani offered. Dekomori's eyes lit up, and she nodded vigorously. Nibutani looked around for the stand and noticed it quite a ways away from where they were standing. An influx of people were heading in their direction, making the pathway suddenly very crowded. It wouldn't be hard to lose each other with this amount of people walking about.

Nibutani held out her hand. Upon seeing Dekomori's questioning look, Nibutani explained, "There's a lot of people around, so it would be hard to find each other if we got split up. Just grab my hand until we get to where we need to be. It's only temporary, so you can let go once we get there." The short girl blushed and nodded, grabbing Nibutani's hand with her own.

They walked hand in hand through the crowd of people. Dekomori's small stature made it easier for people to push her aside, so she tightened her grip on Nibutani's hand to make sure she wouldn't get swept away by the crowd. Nibutani was acutely aware of this action. Her breath turned shaky and she felt her heart race. Within a few minutes, they finally made it past the wave of people and arrived at the cotton candy stand.

An old woman, who was running the booth, commented, "My my, aren't you two a cute couple?" She smiled softly. Nibutani looked down and noticed that their hands were still clasped together. They immediately released each other and blushed furiously. The old woman laughed at the gesture and handed them their treat.

The area was still crowded, festivals being an extremely popular activity among people of all ages, so Nibutani thought it would be best to find a place that was less populated. She looked around and spotted a rest area on top of a small hill. It was relatively free of people. She tugged at Dekomori's arm and led her to the top of the hill.

There were several benches in the area and a small wooden railing that blocked off a steep incline on the other side. Nibutani and Dekomori walked over to the railing and leaned against it. The hill gave a great view of the city. It was dark, and the city's lights shone brilliantly, like a sea of stars. The two girls stood in silence as they ate.

After finishing her snack, Dekomori let out a groan, "I ate too much… I feel my powers weakening…" She put her hand on her stomach and rubbed it in slow circles.

Nibutani replied, "I told you not too eat too much, but you never listen to me. You're getting what you deserve." She flicked Dekomori's forehead.

The younger girl grimaced, feeling sick. Nibutani sighed. She led the small girl to one of the many benches and sat her down. Dekomori leaned back and closed her eyes.

"I can't believe I spent the entire festival walking around with a fake like you. It isn't befitting of someone of my status," Dekomori mumbled, her eyes still closed.

"Don't blame me," Nibutani replied, "You're the one who made that decision in the first place. You should have refused Kumin's request if it bothered you so much." Nibutani crossed her arms, feeling slightly put off at Dekomori's reaction to their evening.

"I suppose it wasn't as bad as it could have been. If I had to be stuck with one person the whole night…" Dekomori trailed off suddenly. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. She opened her eyes and turned her head to look at Nibutani.

"I'm glad it was you, Fake Summer," she finished. She closed her eyes and turned her head away, embarrassed by her own words. Nibutani could feel the color rising in her cheeks. She smiled and gazed at the view of the city. She put her hand down on the surface of the bench, resting it next to Dekomori's, and lightly pressed her pinky against the first year's. Nibutani felt Dekomori push her own pinky against Nibutani's in response.

The two sat there, unmoving, until they heard a voice calling their names. Nibutani looked behind her and saw the rest of the group down at the base of the hill. Kumin was waving, suggesting that she was the one who had called out to them. Nibutani and Dekomori walked down the hill to meet up with them.

"We're thinking of heading back to the hotel room now. It's getting kinda late," Yuuta told them. They nodded in agreement and began making their back to The Grand Palace.

"So how was your night, Mori Summer?" Kumin asked eagerly. She was undoubtedly excited to hear about the results of her plan.

Nibutani sighed, "Taking care of an overly hyper child like her was tiring, but it was...nice nonetheless." Nibutani decided to keep quiet about their hand holding and subtle pinky touches. She didn't want to stir up any drama, considering that Mitsuki was in earshot and was probably listening to everything being said.

"It was a true test of my skill to survive an evening alongside a fake!" Dekomori stated.

Kumin giggled, "I'm glad you two had so much fun. Unfortunately, I don't think I entertained my companion as much." Kumin smiled at Mitsuki. She didn't seem upset about it. Kumin was always unfazed by issues like that.

"It's not that I didn't have fun. I just missed Master," Mitsuki replied. Nibutani felt her eye twitch.

"Of course! It's only natural that a servant misses the company of her master," Dekomori responded. "Tomorrow we shall hunt for the demon beast together as master and servant!" Dekomori patted Mitsuki's back roughly and laughed. Mitsuki's eyes glittered with happiness.

Nibutani did her best to ignore them. "So what about you and Rikka? What did you guys do?" she asked Yuuta.

"We just walked around and played some games. Rikka ended up eating too much and got sick when she wanted to go run around." he replied.

"That idiot did the same thing. They really are a handful, aren't they?" Nibutani groaned. Yuuta nodded and smiled. Nibutani felt like they could bond over situations like these. They were always the ones who had to deal with Rikka and Dekomori, so they could relate to each other's situation. Nibutani was grateful that she had a friend like that.

The group slowly made their way back to the hotel. They were mostly quiet, tired from the night's activities, with the occasional outburst from Rikka and Dekomori. Nibutani smiled. Tonight had been truly enjoyable. It was the first time she really got to spend time alone with Dekomori. It went mostly like she expected, with a few surprising moments along the way. She hoped that she'd get another opportunity like this again.

* * *

When the group finally arrived back at their suite, the first thing they did was argue about sleeping arrangements. Nibutani had seen this coming. There were only three beds, of course. It wouldn't have been an issue if they didn't have Yuuta with them. No one seemed keen on the idea of sharing a bed with him.

"If it's really an issue, I can just sleep on the couch in the main room," Yuuta said.

"Aw, that's no fair," Kumin replied. "You can have the king sized bed. The other room has two beds that the rest of us can share. You can even have Rikka in your room if you really want to." Kumin smiled. Her words caused Yuuta and Rikka to reel in embarrassment.

"No way!" Dekomori protested. "They'll probably end up doing impure things and keep the rest of us up all night!" Dekomori shot them a suspicious look. Rikka covered her ears and blushed.

"That's not going to happen!" Yuuta reassured them. His face was beet red.

"Why don't we just do what Kumin said and see if we can fit all of the girls in one room," Nibutani suggested, "I mean, Rikka, Dekomori, and Mitsuki are puny, so it shouldn't be hard to find space for all of us." Everyone voiced their agreement. It seemed like a sensible choice.

The girls bid Yuuta goodnight and headed in their room. Now they needed to figure out exactly who was sleeping where. Nibutani secretly hoped that she would get to share with Dekomori, though it made more sense to put the smallest girls together.

"I think it would be best of we put the smallest girls on one bed." Mitsuki said, voicing Nibutani's thoughts. "Sanae, Rikka, and I can go on one bed, and Nibutani and Kumin can use the other. That makes the most sense," she concluded. Mitsuki stole a quick glance at Dekomori, a slight blush appearing on her face. This didn't go unnoticed.

"I disagree," Nibutani countered. What was she saying? Mitsuki had come to the most logical conclusion, so why was she disagreeing? The other girls looked at Nibutani, surprised. They waited for her to elaborate.

_Dammit, that girl pisses me off with everything she says. I blurted that out before I even thought about it. I can't deny the accuracy of what she said, but letting her get what she wants annoys me to no end. I need an excuse._

"I think it would be better if we just slept wherever we want," Nibutani explained, "That way we don't have to stress about sleeping arrangements."

"Agreed," Rikka said. "The Wicked Eye rests where she wants." Nibutani sighed. At least one person agreed with her. Rikka laid down on the bed furthest from the the door.

"If that's the case, then I shall rest here." Dekomori announced. She plopped down on the other bed.

"I'll join you." Nibutani and Mitsuki said simultaneously. The two girls glared at each other.

"Oh my…" Kumin giggled. "Maybe we should find some other way to decide before war erupts" She went over to the desk in the room and pulled out a small notepad. She tore a piece of paper out of it and ripped it into five pieces. She wrote the word "left" on two of the pieces and wrote "right" on the remaining three. She put the pieces face down on the desk so no one could see the words and then shuffled them.

"Everyone pick one piece, and it'll tell you which bed you'll be sleeping on." Kumin explained.

Nibutani walked over to the desk and picked up one of the pieces. She turned it over and it read "left". She crossed her fingers, hoping the Dekomori would pull the last piece that had the same word on it. Mitsuki picked next. Her piece placed her on the right bed. Kumin, who was the next to choose, was also put there. As Dekomori went to choose between the last two pieces, Nibutani could feel her heart beat wildly.

Dekomori grabbed a piece of paper and looked at it. The first year held it at angle where Nibutani was unable see it. Dekomori looked up at Nibutani and said, "It looks like I'll be forced to share with a fake." Nibutani inwardly cheered. She could see pure annoyance in Mitsuki's expression, but there was nothing the purple haired girl could do about the situation.

The girls changed into their pajamas and moved to their assigned sleeping spots. Most of them fell asleep right away, tired from spending hours at the festival, but Nibutani was the only one who couldn't seem to fall asleep. Her mind raced with thoughts of her evening with Dekomori. She couldn't stop thinking about the time they spent laughing with each other over the festival games, and watching Dekomori consume every piece of food in sight had been an incredible source of amusement. But what stuck out the most, was when Nibutani held the small girl's hand as they walked through the crowd.

Nibutani propped her head up on her hand. She looked at the sleeping girl next to her. Nibutani remembered their pinky touches while sitting on top of the hill. She felt like it was the closest thing to reciprocated feelings that she'd seen so far. They never had much contact that didn't involve some kind of fighting, so that gentle gesture had meant a lot to her.

Dekomori moved her body so she was facing Nibutani. Her long blonde hair, now hanging freely, fell slightly in front of her face. Nibutani reached out and brushed it away. As her fingers made contact with the other girl's skin, Nibutani felt a fiery sensation shoot up her fingers.

_She looks so peaceful when she sleeps. It's completely different than when she's awake and at full energy. I can hardly believe this is the same person. _Nibutani sighed and looked at the clock on the bedside table. It read 2:00. Nibutani pinched the bridge of her nose. It was bound to be another restless night.

Nibutani happened to glance past Dekomori, and was greeted with the piercing stare of two purple colored eyes. Nibutani, not expecting to meet someone else's eyes, shrieked in surprise, effectively waking the rest of the room's occupants.

Dekomori and Rikka sprang out of bed and assumed a battle position. Mitsuki switched the light on. Kumin was still asleep.

"What evil being dares attack us in the middle of the night?!" Rikka asked frantically.

"Calm down everyone. I just had a nightmare," Nibutani lied. She spotted Mitsuki staring at her, obviously aware of the truth behind her scream. Nibutani gulped. She hoped that Mitsuki hadn't seen her brief gesture of affection towards Dekomori.

"Of course it was only you, Fake Summer. You're always doing annoying things like this," Dekomori drawled. The first year crawled back into bed. The others followed suit. Mitsuki turned light back off.

Nibutani laid her head back down on her pillow. She noticed Dekomori facing her direction again, watching her. They held each other's gaze. Nibutani felt something brush against her hand. She looked down and saw Dekomori's smaller hand pressed against hers. Nibutani allowed the younger girl to interlock their fingers.

Dekomori closed her eyes and mumbled, "Just in case you have another nightmare…." The girl fell back asleep. Nibutani smiled and tightened her grip on the younger girl's hand. Feeling comforted by the contact, she drifted to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I'd like to thank everyone who has taken the time to review. Your feedback means a lot to me.

* * *

Nibutani couldn't breathe. She felt an overwhelming pressure on her chest. It felt like a snake was coiling around her, slowly crushing her chest with every second. She tried shifting her body's position, but no matter which way she moved, she still felt the constricting presence of this unknown force. Nibutani, still half asleep, panicked.

_What's happening to me? Am I still asleep? Is this a dream? I can't move my body at all. Is this what sleep paralysis feels like? I don't know what to do. I can't breathe, and it feels like my lungs are about to collapse. What do I do?_

Nibutani slowly opened her eyes. She took a moment to adjust to the change of lighting, and then looked down at her chest, attempting to locate the source of pressure. Nibutani felt a vein bulge in her forehead when she noticed that her body was trapped in Dekomori's vice-like grip. The younger girl had managed to wrap both her arms around Nibutani while she was sleeping. It seemed like she was having a nightmare, as she would squeeze Nibutani tighter every few seconds.

Feeling her chest begin to ache, Nibutani grabbed the back of Dekomori's pajamas and tugged at them, trying to pry the smaller girl off of her. No matter how much Nibutani pulled, Dekomori would not ease her hold on her. Nibutani heard Dekomori mumble "Fake Summer" in her sleep before she felt the blonde girl tighten her arms around her once again.

Nibutani, tired of being crushed by Dekomori's surprisingly powerful hold, yelled, "Let go of me, you idiot! You're going to kill me!" The shout was effective in waking Dekomori up. The first year sprang up and looked around frantically.

"What is the meaning of this, Fake Summer?" Dekomori asked, still groggy. "You have a lot of nerve waking the Mjolnir Hammer from her slumber." Nibutani bristled.

"I wouldn't have had to if you weren't clinging to me and squeezing the life out of me!" Nibutani roared.

Dekomori blushed, "I see no evidence that supports your claims, fake Mori Summer."

"You could check my torso! I probably have bruises all over…" Nibutani growled in frustration and rubbed at the sore spots on her body.

"Would you two please shut up? If you want to fight, do it outside," Mitsuki groaned. She grabbed her pillow and placed it over her head, attempting to drown out the sound of the two bickering girls.

Nibutani sighed. She might as well get changed. There was no way she would be able to fall asleep again, especially now that she was aware of the threat that laid beside her. Nibutani flushed slightly. Even though it had been excruciatingly painful, the blonde girl had wrapped her arms around her, and Nibutani felt slightly pleased that it had happened. She hoped the tiny girl would do it more often in the future, preferably with less force.

Nibutani grabbed a change of clothes and walked down the hall towards the bathroom. As she was about to close the door, she felt someone push it from the other side, preventing it from closing all the way. Nibutani peered around the side of the door and saw Dekomori standing in the hallway, her own bundle of clothes in her arms.

Nibutani squinted. "No. You wait your turn." It wasn't uncommon for girls to change together, but the situation was very different in her case. Nibutani knew she wouldn't be able to handle it. The thought of changing together in the same room embarrassed her beyond belief.

"Let me in, fake. Why are you so embarrassed? Your body isn't _that _ba-" Dekomori was cut off as Nibutani slammed the door shut. She could hear Dekomori snort in annoyance. _Too bad. You're just going to have to deal with it._

Nibutani sighed. That was the one thing she didn't like about her feelings. They made everything feel more awkward than they probably should. Even the smallest bit of contact made her knees shake and her mind stop working. Nibutani wondered if that would stop if she ever managed to confess to the small blonde girl.

As Nibutani changed into fresh clothes, she decided to check her torso to see if Dekomori actually did leave a mark. She was relieved to see that she hadn't. Nibutani had to admit that she was impressed by the younger girl's strength. She wouldn't have expected someone so tiny to be able to inflict that much pain. She'd have to be more careful during their fights in the future.

A loud rapping on the door interrupted Nibutani's thoughts. She heard Dekomori shout, "Hurry up, Fake Summer! You're taking too long!" Nibutani sighed and finished getting dressed. When she opened the bathroom door, she saw Dekomori leaning on the opposite wall, annoyed.

"It's about time. You're way too slow. Though I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. You are a weak being after all." Dekomori grinned cheekily. Nibutani huffed in irritation and shoved the younger girl into the bathroom. She waited outside until the twin tailed girl was finished. Dekomori walked out dressed in a green and yellow one piece swimming suit with blue jean shorts.

"What do you think you're doing?" Nibutani asked, exasperated.

"I want to go to the pool!" Dekomori answered. "I promised my servant that we would hunt for the demon beast today, and it can only be found in a location that is highly populated and filled with water! I can feel its presence, and the pool is the only place that meets the requirements!"

Nibutani let out a loud sigh, "Do we even have time to go to the pool? We have to leave today, remember?" Nibutani wasn't sure when they were supposed to head back to the train station. She had forgotten to check the ticket for the time. She had intended to ask Yuuta about it.

"Our ride doesn't depart until the sun begins its descent into the other world!" Dekomori explained. That meant that the train wouldn't be leaving until much later in the day, so they had several hours to kill.

"Yeah, well, I didn't bring a swimsuit. In fact, I think you're the only one who did. No one expected to be coming to a luxury hotel." Nibutani crossed her arms.

Dekomori chuckled, "I informed everyone beforehand that there would be a swimming facility at the temporary headquarters, so they all came equipped for battle. I must have forgotten to mention it to you. I suppose if you get on your knees and beg, I could arrange for the proper battle attire to be delivered here." A devilish grin spread across the first year's face.

Nibutani felt her blood boil. Her body shook, ready to explode in rage. Suddenly, Nibutani's body stilled. She turned and marched down the hallway, Dekomori looking on in curiosity. Nibutani made her way to a small mini fridge that sat near the dining table. She opened it and inspected its contents. Since Dekomori's father was covering all expenses, it probably wouldn't matter if she took something small from the fridge.

Nibutani heard Dekomori approach behind her. She stood up slowly, emitting a low ominous laugh. Nibutani whipped her body around and showed off the object she had pulled from the fridge. It was a small bottle of milk. Nibutani could see the color drain from Dekomori's face.

"I've had enough of you," Nibutani muttered. "This time you'll go down for good."

Dekomori stood in her place, eyes wide. Dekomori, who had been momentarily frozen in fear, suddenly bolted back down the hallway. Nibutani sprang after her. She saw the younger girl run back into the girl's bedroom. When Nibutani entered, she noticed Dekomori taking refuge behind the bed that the three other girls were sleeping on. The blonde girl was swinging her pigtails in circles, ready to put up a fight.

The only things separating Nibutani from her target were the three sleeping girls. She would need to make her next move carefully so she wouldn't wake them up. Armed with the milk bottle, Nibutani inched closer to the bed. As she slowly approached the twin tailed girl's location, Dekomori swung one of her pigtails in Nibutani's direction, causing Nibutani to put her arms up in defense, and then scrambled across the top of the bed, waking the other girls up.

Dekomori jumped on top of the bed they had shared the night before, and took her battle position. When Nibutani tried to approach, Dekomori threw a kick at her. Nibutani, growing increasingly impatient, lunged at Dekomori and knocked the small girl down. She grabbed the younger girl's jaw, attempting to force her mouth open. Dekomori pressed one hand against Nibutani's cheek and pushed, while the other grasped the wrist of the hand that held the milk bottle.

"Do those two ever stop?" Mitsuki grumbled. She turned to Rikka. "Can't you do something about this? Sanae was your former servant. Surely you are powerful enough to stop this quarrel."

"Since Dekomori is no longer my servant, I cannot interfere in her battles. It is not my place." Rikka answered.

Suddenly, Kumin sat up and commented, "Those two make a cute couple."

Nibutani and Dekomori instantly turned their attention to Kumin, their faces red, and began to protest. They spoke simultaneously, so their words came out as incoherent shouts. Mitsuki groaned in annoyance.

Rikka turned to Kumin. "I'm impressed that you managed to launch a psychological attack of that level. Well done." Kumin giggled at the praise.

"Well, we're up now," Mitsuki grumbled. "We have a lot of time to kill. What should we do?" Dekomori's eyes glittered.

"This idiot wants to go to the pool," Nibutani replied. Mitsuki responded with a grunt, avoiding eye contact with the second year. Nibutani felt slightly apprehensive.

"Rikka, you should go wake up Yuuta so we can get ready to go. I guess we're heading to the pool," Mitsuki said. Rikka nodded and rushed off.

Nibutani and Dekomori waited out in the main room while the others got changed into their swimsuits. Nibutani thought back to Mitsuki's lack of communication with her. After everything that happened between the two of them, Nibutani wasn't surprised that the purple haired girl wasn't keen on speaking to her, but she couldn't help but feel like there was more to it. She felt anxiety in the pit of her stomach.

Nibutani's thoughts were cut short when the rest of the group emerged from the hallway. They all donned their usual swimsuits. Nibutani suddenly realized that something was missing.

"I just realized that since that first year forgot to mention the pool to me, I don't have a swimsuit with me." Nibutani said. She glared at Dekomori.

"Have no fear, fake Mori Summer. I arranged for a swimsuit to be delivered here." Dekomori grinned triumphantly. She seemed pleased that Nibutani was forced to rely on her. The blonde girl pointed to a bag near the door. She must have made the arrangements beforehand, knowing that this conflict would come up. Nibutani sighed, feeling annoyed.

Nibutani grabbed the bag and began walking towards the hall. Before reaching the bathroom, she stopped, turned around, and said, "You guys go on ahead. I'll catch up."

"You sure?" Yuuta asked. Nibutani smiled and nodded.

Nibutani entered the bathroom and pulled the swimsuit out of the bag. It was a blue two piece with white polka dots. _At least that idiot didn't pick out something ugly. I can work with this. Would it have killed her to tell me about the swimming situation though? She can be so annoying sometimes…_

When Nibutani finished changing and left the bathroom, she was hit with another feeling of apprehension. Her heart thumped as she slowly moved down the hall in anticipation. Upon reaching the main room, she looked around, but she didn't spot anyone in the immediate vicinity. Nibutani made her way to the door, and as she was about to reach for the handle, she felt something grab her shoulder. Nibutani whipped around and noticed Mitsuki standing before her.

"I want to speak to you for a second," Mitsuki stated.

"That's fine, but could you have asked without scaring me half to death?" Nibutani asked.

Mitsuki ignored her and walked over to the grey couch in front of the tv and sat down. Nibutani followed her and sat on the opposite end.

"I know what's going on." Mitsuki said, her tone emphasizing her frustration.

"What are you talking about?" Nibutani asked. She felt incredibly nervous. It was obvious that she had done something to provoke the purple haired girl, and Nibutani knew she was about to face the consequences.

"I'm not stupid, you know. Yesterday at the festival, when Kumin told Dekomori to go with you, I knew the intention behind that. Kumin may have lied for you by saying it was because she wanted to spend time with me, but I knew that wasn't true. I do have to admit, I'm impressed that you came up with something like that. You had everyone else fooled, Sanae included, but I'm not that easy to trick," Mitsuki sneered.

"Once again, you're misunderstanding everything." Nibutani sighed. "That little plan was concocted by Kumin alone. I had nothing to do with it. Why do you even care anyway? It wasn't that big a deal." There was no way Nibutani could come clean about the small intimate moments between her and Dekomori. It would only serve to strengthen Mitsuki's point.

"Anyone can see that Sanae is extremely fond of you. It's been made clear to me that it was intended for this trip to make you two grow even closer. This worries me immensely." Mitsuki turned and glared at Nibutani.

"Right, right. It's because I'm like that Aya person from your past. I get it, you don't trust me, but you really need to understand that you have no say in what bonds Dekomori chooses to form. It's solely her decision. You need to realize that Dekomori is an independent person, and she will gravitate towards people who treat her as one. Just let her make her own decisions. I think that could solve a lot of your problems." Nibutani took a deep breath. She hoped that her words had managed to knock some sense into the girl.

Mitsuki looked deep in thought. After a few moments, she said, "I understand. You're right. Sanae _is _her own person, and I should allow her to think for herself." Nibutani felt a wave of relief. Maybe now the hostilities would end.

Mitsuki looked up at Nibutani and said, "Thanks. I know what I need to do now."

Nibutani felt a small warning signal go off in the back of her mind, but she chose to ignore it. "I'm glad you understood what I was getting at. Come on, let's go join the others."

Mitsuki nodded and the two girls made their way to the pool on the first floor.

* * *

Nibutani gawked. The pool was absolutely magnificent. The were tall white arches that lined every side. The bottom of the pool was covered in designs of various sea creatures. There were large white pool chairs strewn across the area. Nibutani noticed that the others were already in the pool. Yuuta was lounging on top of a float while Rikka and Dekomori were shooting each other with small water guns. Kumin was asleep on one of the pool chairs.

"Those two are going to get us all in trouble." Nibutani sighed. "Are we even allowed to bring water guns to a pool like this?"

"Sanae's father is friends with the owner, so I can't imagine they'd do anything, even if it wasn't allowed," Mitsuki replied. "Plus, it looks like fun. I'm going to go join them." Mitsuki jumped into the pool after them. Nibutani walked over to the edge and sat down, dipping her legs in the water.

Dekomori called out to her, "Fake Summer, this is the only time you will hear me say this, but I require your assistance on an important mission!"

Nibutani slid into the pool and walked over to the younger girl. "What do possibly need my help for?" she asked.

"I am about to partake in the most important battle of my existence. The Wicked Eye has challenged to me a fight to the death in our super powerful robot forms!" Dekomori explained.

Nibutani looked over at Rikka. The young girl had climbed up on Yuuta's shoulders. She held the water pistol in her right hand, and she looked poised for battle.

"Let me guess," Nibutani said, "I'm supposed to act as your robot form. Am I correct?" Dekomori nodded.

Nibutani rolled her eyes and pointed to her shoulders. "Hop on."

Dekomori grinned and climbed up Nibutani's shoulders. Nibutani wrapped her arms around the younger girls legs so she wouldn't fall. Dekomori and Rikka aimed their water pistols at each other.

"It must be fate that we meet on the battlefield once again." Rikka said. "Ever since you gained a servant of your own, I have been unable to properly assess your growth in battle. I am truly grateful that it is you who I am facing in this death match."

"Indeed." Dekomori replied. "I could not wish for a worthier opponent. While I did serve as your servant for many lifetimes, do not expect me to hold back. It is my destiny to defeat you today!"

Nibutani and Yuuta looked at each other in exasperation. It was tiring holding up the two girls. They sighed in relief when they were directed to stand on opposite sides of the pool. They stood in four foot deep water, leaning against the walls of the pool. Dekomori and Rikka aimed their water pistols at each other. Mitsuki's cheers for Dekomori could be heard on the sideline.

Rikka and Dekomori yelled "charge" and Nibutani and Yuuta waddled their way to the center of the pool. Nibutani could hear the sound of water gun triggers being pulled. When Yuuta and Nibutani met at the center, they clasped their hands together and attempted to push the other over. Nibutani noticed that the two girls had discarded their water guns and were now swiping at each other.

Nibutani could feel her competitiveness kick in. She pushed harder, but Yuuta wouldn't budge. Nibutani decided to try another tactic. She kicked at Yuuta's legs, which eventually caused him to lose his balance. Rikka and Yuuta tumbled into the water.

"Victory!" Dekomori cheered. A huge smile spread across her face. Nibutani let Dekomori down from her shoulders. The blonde girl held up her hand for a high five, which Nibutani happily returned.

Rikka surfaced and said, "I'm impressed that you managed to defeat me. I have trained you well. Luckily for me, the Wicked Eye has many lives, so I may continue to dwell on this plane of existence."

"They only won because Nibutani fought dirty," Yuuta grumbled.

"It's your fault for coming poorly prepared to a battle," Dekomori countered. "You should have known that my robot is capable of many amazing feats." Dekomori shot a thumbs up at Nibutani.

"That's right," Nibutani agreed. She smiled smugly.

Mitsuki swam over to the rest of the group. "That battle was amazing, Master! You really showed how powerful you are! Now that you have claimed victory, we should begin our hunt for the demon beast! If we don't start soon, it might get away!"

"You're right!" Dekomori exclaimed. "We must move quickly!" The two girls swam to the deep end of the pool.

Nibutani decided to take this time to rest. She got out of the pool and sat in a chair next to the sleeping Kumin. Nibutani could feel herself getting drowsy. Dekomori had woken her up pretty early, so taking a swim in the pool had tired her out. Nibutani closed her eyes and felt herself drift asleep.

Nibutani dreamt that she was back at school in the club room. She was alone with Dekomori in the room. The two girls were leaning against the wall nearest to the window. It seemed like the younger girl was speaking to her, but Nibutani couldn't make out what was being said. Suddenly, Dekomori grabbed Nibutani's hand and interlaced their fingers. The blonde girl leaned her head against Nibutani's shoulder, causing the second year's heart to race.

Nibutani awoke when she heard the sharp sound of people whispering. She opened her eyes and saw Dekomori and Mitsuki looking down at her, appearing slightly concerned.

"Oh! She isn't dead after all!" Mitsuki said.

"That's good. I would have been extremely disappointed if Fake Summer fell that easily." Dekomori stated.

"What are you two doing anyway?" Nibutani asked sleepily.

Yuuta answered, "It's about time we head up to change. We need to leave for the train station soon."

_How long was I asleep? It only felt like a couple of minutes. I must have been really tired…._

Nibutani got up and followed the rest of the group up towards the elevator. Upon approaching the elevators, Nibutani noticed Mitsuki pull Dekomori aside and whisper into her ear. Nibutani felt instantly suspicious.

When the elevator doors opened, Dekomori said, "We'll catch up to you in a few. Mitsuki wishes to speak to me about something of great importance!" The two walked off.

Nibutani couldn't stop the nagging feeling in the back of her mind that something big was about to happen. It bothered her, but there wasn't much she could do about it, so she ultimately decided to ignore it. Once they got back to the hotel room, Nibutani began to gather her belongings. She wondered if Dekomori would sit by her on the train again. She was curious to see how it would affect Mitsuki, taking their earlier conversation into account. If that girl really had agreed with her, maybe it wouldn't be a big deal.

Nibutani finished packing her things when she heard the front door open. Nibutani assumed that the two first years had returned from their chat. Her thoughts were confirmed when Mitsuki walked into the room, a slightly smug smile on her face. Dekomori entered the room after her. To Nibutani's surprise, the twin tailed girl said nothing.

"Hey, make sure you don't forget anything," Nibutani stressed. "I really don't want to have to deal with your whining if you forget to pack something." Dekomori didn't respond. Nibutani walked over to her and waved her hand in front of the tiny girl's face.

Dekomori snapped out of her thoughts. "Huh? Oh yeah, I'll make sure to check carefully." The girl fell back into silence and resumed her packing.

_That's strange. She's rarely ever this quiet. I hope nothing bad happened between the two of them. We definitely don't need anymore drama right now. Plus, this trip was meant to be relaxing, not stressful._

Nibutani watched Dekomori with worry. The familiar feeling of apprehension came over her once again. She had a bad feeling about this. Nibutani decided that she would keep a close eye on Dekomori. Last time something upsetting happened to her, Nibutani wasn't around to help her through it. Nibutani was going to make sure she didn't make that same mistake again.

Once the group finished packing their things, they made their way to the train station. Dekomori had been silent the whole way there. Nibutani considered confronting Mitsuki about Dekomori's strange behavior, but she was too afraid of what the purple haired girl might say. Nibutani cursed herself for letting her cowardice get the better of her.

Nibutani attempted to talk the twin tailed girl as well, but the conversation was too one sided to be of any use. Dekomori was far too lost in her in thoughts to speak to anyone. This only made Nibutani worry more. She took a quick glance at Mitsuki, who seemed unaffected by this situation. She was chatting happily with Kumin. Nibutani felt a stab of anger. Dekomori's behavior was obviously a result of their talk, and it annoyed Nibutani that Mitsuki seemed okay with this result.

When they arrived at the station and boarded the train, Dekomori confirmed Nibutani's earlier thoughts by sitting next to her on the train. Nibutani felt slightly relieved. At least one thing remained unchanged. The normally energetic first year gazed out the window for the duration of the train ride. Everyone else, excluding Nibutani, had fallen asleep, tired from their earlier activities. Dekomori didn't take her eyes off the scenery outside, which only served to add to Nibutani's growing anxiety.

Nibutani couldn't take her eyes off the small blonde girl. It felt like if she removed her watchful gaze for even just a second, Dekomori would disappear. She remembered seeing Dekomori's slouched form as she entered the club room before they reunited. She had looked so tired and defeated. Nibutani wasn't sure if whatever was going on in Dekomori's head was as severe as before, but she wasn't about to abandon her again.

The train pulled in at their home station after a stressful four hour long ride. By the time they reached the station, it was already dark out. The group decided to split off at the train station and head home. Before Dekomori could walk away, Nibutani grabbed her arm and pulled her aside.

"Are you okay?" Nibutani asked. "You haven't said a single word since we left the hotel. It's unlike you."

"I'm fine," Dekomori answered. "I'm just tired." Nibutani didn't buy that for a second.

"You and I both know that isn't true. Come on, you're making me worry about you…" Nibutani mumbled.

Dekomori looked up and held Nibutani's gaze. Nibutani's heart beat faster. She could feel herself shake in anxiety. Nibutani attempted to put up a strong front to encourage the younger girl to open up about what was bothering her, but that front shattered when Dekomori whispered, "Mitsuki confessed to me."

* * *

A/N: Yeah, sorry, that was pretty much a set up chapter. It was also kinda bleh, so I might rewrite it.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Sorry this chapter is kinda on the shorter side.

* * *

Dekomori was following the rest of the group towards the elevators, when she suddenly felt someone tug at her arm. She turned around and saw Mitsuki looking at her, a very serious expression on her face.

"I need to talk to you," Mitsuki said. "It's important." Dekomori nodded. She felt nervous. Her mind went directly to Nibutani. Dekomori wondered if something bad had happened between the second year and Mitsuki. It didn't seem like they were on friendly terms. They were always glaring at each other, and they only spoke when they absolutely had to.

Dekomori turned to the others and shouted, "We'll be back in a few! Mitsuki wishes to speak to me about something of great importance!" She was unable to say anything else as she felt Mitsuki grab her arm for a second time and drag her away.

Mitsuki lead her to the hotel lounge. It was a large room with an abundance of couches and armchairs. There were many businessmen and women occupying the area, typing away on their laptops or making phone calls. Mitsuki walked over to one of the vacant couches and sat down. She patted the empty space beside her, inviting Dekomori to come sit next to her.

Mitsuki avoided eye contact when Dekomori sat down. She took a deep breath, and as she exhaled, Dekomori could hear her breath come out shakily. Mitsuki looked up at her and said, "I have a lot to say, so I would like it if you would hear me out completely before you gave your opinion." Dekomori nodded.

"I talked to Nibutani this morning. I stayed behind to speak with her." Mitsuki began. This wasn't surprising. Dekomori had figured that Nibutani fit into this somehow. Despite her expectations, she still felt anxiety cut at her insides. This conversation could go in any direction, and it wasn't likely that many of them were good.

"To be honest, I'm not sure why I confronted her. I suppose I just felt a little threatened. I mean, it's obvious what last night was. I just felt so fired up. I wasn't thinking rationally," Mitsuki laughed softly to herself.

"What was wrong with last night?" Dekomori asked. Could Mitsuki be mad that she ditched her? It wasn't entirely her fault, so Dekomori hoped that wasn't the case. She would have gladly spent time with her purple haired companion if Kumin hadn't asked her to go with Nibutani. Though she couldn't ignore her satisfaction with being able to walk around with the second year, and Dekomori felt slightly guilty.

Mitsuki sighed and close her eyes, ignoring Dekomori's question. "I can tell how much you care for her, Sanae. It's obvious to everyone. I'm pretty sure Nibutani is at least a little bit aware of it too." Dekomori felt her cheeks heat up. She never outwardly admitted it to anyone, so hearing someone say it for her was incredibly embarrassing.

"I'm worried about you," Mitsuki continued. "I just don't trust her. I don't think she has your best interests at heart." Dekomori's eyes widened. That couldn't be true. Nibutani may be stubborn and bitter, but she has always looked out for her friends.

"I started believing that when I saw the way she patronized chuunibyou and everyone associated with it. I know how much being the Mjolnir Hammer means to you, so it upset me that she took that position, especially since she means so much to you. That's why I confronted her both today and that day when you reunited. I told her that I would stick by your side no matter what." Mitsuki paused to look over at Dekomori, whose eyes were fixed on the ground.

"You've fought before?" Dekomori asked quietly.

Mitsuki nodded, "Well, I wouldn't call it a fight, but we did talk about some rather personal subjects, and I can't deny that we didn't see eye to eye on most of it. We have a very different view on things in general."

Dekomori sighed. Sometimes differences in opinion couldn't be helped, but having two friends at each other's throat stressed her out. Dekomori was torn between trying to step in and help out and walking away and letting them deal with it themselves.

Mitsuki continued, "But Nibutani made an interesting point that I failed to take into perspective. I was so intent on protecting you from what I believed was inevitable heartbreak, that I didn't stop to think about how you felt about all of this. Nibutani pointed out that you are your own person, and you are capable of making your own decisions. That discussion I had with her is what made me bring you here in the first place. What I'm about to tell you is something that you need to process on your own. I can't tell you how to feel about it, but there's no use keeping it secret until you figure it out yourself."

Mitsuki took another deep breath and fiddled with her fingers. She was visibly shaking. Dekomori turned her gaze to Mitsuki. The purple haired girl had already said a lot of things that were hard to process. She couldn't imagine what else could possibly be said.

"I-I've grown to care about you a lot. You've shown me that there are people who truly are kind and generous. You don't hide behind those traits either. You don't use them to maintain popularity. It's just a part of you. It comes naturally. You're able to be proud of who you are no matter what, and you're still kind to those who don't understand you at all. I haven't met someone like that before. I know I'm rambling, but I guess this is my weird version of a confession." Mitsuki chuckled nervously.

Mitsuki had been right. That was definitely a lot to take in, and Dekomori had trouble processing it all at once. Dekomori wasn't sure why she was so surprised. The kisses from a few weeks ago should have been a clear indicator, though she hasn't always been the best at recognizing romantic feelings in people.

Mitsuki spoke up again, "I know you're fond of Nibutani, but I still feel the need to tell you this. Like I said before, I personally don't believe she has your best interests at heart. I think that if you were to involve yourself with her, it would only end in heartbreak. She's the only one whose opinion matters to you, right? I can't see that being a good thing, especially considering your differing opinions on chuunibyou. You never know, it might be significant enough to drive a wedge between you two." Mitsuki paused to catch her breath.

Dekomori knew that Nibutani wasn't a fan of chuunibyou, but she never thought the second year would hate it to the point where it could be damaging to their relationship. The thought was startling, and for the first time in a long while, Dekomori doubted her chuuni self. It was a very unwelcome feeling, and Dekomori felt the overwhelming desire to leave immediately.

After a few moments, Mitsuki continued, "I won't tell you what to do or what to feel. How you proceed from here is entirely up to you. All I ask is that you take everything I said into consideration and know that there is an alternative option available to you."

Dekomori stood up immediately. "Thank you for sharing this information with me. You were very brave, my servant. I will make sure I assess this properly, and I shall report back soon." Dekomori shuffled her feet and looked around the room, not wanting to make eye contact. She hoped that this marked the end of the conversation.

"Okay," Mitsuki replied. She smiled and her eyes shone with happiness, her earlier nervousness replaced with confidence.

* * *

"And that's what happened." Dekomori finished.

Nibutani and Dekomori were sitting in the club room. The night before, Nibutani had been hit with the news that Mitsuki had confessed to Dekomori. She remembered that her head had spun and she had gotten nauseous. The news had scared her. She was afraid that she had waited too long and missed her chance. Dekomori must have noticed her reaction because the blonde girl told Nibutani that she would talk about what happened after class the next day, and here they were.

Nibutani bristled, "I can't believe she brought up the chuunibyou thing again. I thought she'd give it a rest by now. She should know that you don't really care what I think. " Nibutani felt utterly disappointed. Mitsuki said a lot of heavy things, and Nibutani wished she had just gone for a simple confession. It annoyed her that Mitsuki decided to drag her into it as well. There had to be some ulterior motive hidden there.

"What are you going to do about it?" Nibutani asked. "She's probably expecting an answer from you, so you need to decide if that's something you want to pursue." Nibutani was hoping that her blonde companion would just outright reject Mitsuki. Though it didn't seem like that was going to be the case. It was obvious that the purple haired girl's words had struck a chord in Dekomori.

"Do you hate me?" Dekomori asked suddenly. Nibutani looked at her in shock.

"Of course not! What made you think that I did?" Nibutani replied. The question caught her by surprise. That was the last thing she expected to hear from the first year.

"Mitsuki said that you hate chuunibyou and all things associated with it, so that should mean that you hate me too," Dekomori answered quietly. She rested her head on her knees. She appeared deeply troubled.

"Is that why you were so quiet yesterday?" Nibutani asked. "It was because you thought I hated you?" Dekomori didn't respond. Nibutani took her silence as confirmation.

Nibutani groaned. Of course saying something like that would upset her. It was a direct hit to Dekomori's insecurity. The purple haired girl must have known that saying something like that would really bother the young blonde. Nibutani clenched her fists in anger. _That stupid transfer student has the nerve to say that I'm bad for Dekomori, but then she goes and says whatever she wants without considering the effect. How annoying..._

Nibutani turned to Dekomori and said, "I don't hate you. It's the complete opposite. Yeah, you may be difficult to deal with at times, but I suppose everyone has their bad moments. I've grown to be appreciative of your company. It's never boring, to say the least."

Dekomori paused before answering, probably to give her time to mull over what she was going to say next. Nibutani hoped that her answer gave the twin tailed girl some peace of mind. The very idea that Mitsuki might be trying to make Dekomori doubt her made Nibutani absolutely furious. _If that girl is planning something sneaky, I swear I'll make her regret coming within five feet of me._

Dekomori's voice interrupted Nibutani's increasingly violent thoughts, "Would you like me more if I wasn't the Mjolnir Hammer?" Dekomori's head still rested on her knees, and she refused to make eye contact. Nibutani felt a little worried.

"Geez, you're really throwing out the tough questions, aren't you? To be honest, I've gotten used to seeing you as your eccentric chuuni self, so seeing you act in any other way would be way too weird," Nibutani answered. That question seemed very strange coming from Dekomori. It was unlike her to feel doubtful about her chuunibyou.

"Okay," Dekomori sighed. She seemed unconvinced. This wasn't the best situation to be in, and Nibutani inwardly cursed Mitsuki for the umpteenth time that day. That girl had an annoying talent of being able to get into people's heads. Nibutani assumed that she had picked up that skill from her home schooling days.

Apparently what Nibutani said wasn't going to be enough. There wouldn't be another time to reveal important information that was as perfect as now. They were alone together in the club room, and everyone else had other school activities to attend to, so there was no threat of being interrupted. If Mitsuki could confess, then so could she.

"You know, Mitsuki's not the only one who really likes you. I've had feelings for you for a while myself. It seems like you really are popular with people, though I can't really figure out why we all find you as charming as we do," Nibutani smiled. Dekomori's head shot up in surprise. She stared at Nibutani, wide eyed.

"I had a lot of difficulty dealing with my feelings at first, and I spent a lot of energy trying to repress it all. My feelings resurfaced after I saw Mitsuki kiss you." Nibutani paused. Her mind flashed back to that day when she walked in to see Mitsuki kissing Dekomori. Nibutani shuddered. It was an incredibly unpleasant memory.

Nibutani continued, "Remember when we were riding the train back to your house, and I told you that I had a lot of pent up emotions? Well, that was because I was so overwhelmed with my feelings resurfacing, and I just didn't know how to handle it. I tried to run from it, which was a bad decision, and I ended up hurting you," Nibutani smiled sadly. It was hard to recollect her past behavior.

"And then the festival happened and we were paired together for the night. That was the happiest I'd been in a while. Holding your hand while walking through the crowd, sitting on top of the hill with you, and holding your hand that night in the hotel room; those were some of my happiest moments." Nibutani glanced over at Dekomori, who sat there staring into space. Nibutani couldn't read her facial expression.

"It must be strange having two confessions dumped on you within such a short timeframe, but it couldn't be helped I suppose. I just really need you to know that I don't hate you, regardless of what Mitsuki might tell you. This isn't the first time she's missed the mark completely. It's obvious that Mitsuki's showing her hand, and now it's time that I showed mine. She's not the only one with a few tricks up her sleeve." Nibutani's speech was met with silence.

Nibutani looked over at the twin tailed girl and saw that she had buried her face in her arms. That wasn't the reaction that Nibutani was expecting. She hoped that her confession hadn't made things worse. Nibutani sighed and closed her eyes.

_Damn, now that I think about it, maybe confessing right now wasn't the best plan. She already has to deal with one confession, so adding a second one into the mix probably didn't help. I bet she's even more confused than before. I really need to start thinking things through before I act so I don't keep trapping myself in awkward situations. _

Nibutani let out a loud sigh. She'd been sighing a lot lately, though she couldn't really blame herself. These past couple of weeks had been nothing but stressful, and now the blonde girl beside her had turned unresponsive. It was just one more thing for her to worry about.

Nibutani felt something tug at her sleeve. She opened her eyes and looked at the girl sitting next to her. Dekomori had lifted her head and was staring straight at Nibutani, a noticeable spark in her eyes. Nibutani's heart thumped, not entirely sure about what was going to happen. The twin tailed girl leaned over suddenly and pressed her lips to the older girl's cheek. Nibutani flushed scarlet.

When Dekomori pulled away, Nibutani asked, "What was that for?" She placed her hand on the cheek that received the kiss.

Dekomori ignored her and said, "I'm not going to accept Mitsuki's confession." Nibutani felt her chest swell with happiness.

"Okay," Nibutani replied. "I can't say that I'm not happy to hear that." In truth, she was ecstatic. It seemed like the drama could finally come to a close now that everything was sorting itself out.

"But, after giving it some thought, I've decided to accept yours," Dekomori grinned. Nibutani felt like crying. Things were turning out exactly the way she hoped they would, and it felt fantastic.

"Really? That's good to hear," Nibutani sighed in relief. It really _was _good to hear. Her biggest fear was that the blonde girl wouldn't reciprocate her feelings, but that obviously wasn't the case here.

"It's about time you confessed to me! I knew you wouldn't be able to resist the Mjolnir Hammer's charm!" Dekomori laughed boisterously.

Nibutani shoved Dekomori lightly. "Oh shut up! I can hardly believe that I fell for a crazy chuuni girl like you." Nibutani saw something flash in the other girl's eyes, but it was quickly replaced with a mischievous twinkle.

"I can take it all back. You know, accepting your confession," Dekomori smiled playfully.

"Don't you dare," Nibutani mumbled. Dekomori chortled in response, earning another light shove from the second year.

Nibutani reached over and interlaced her fingers with Dekomori's. She felt the younger girl rest her head on her shoulder. The two girls sat in silence, using the quiet to fully appreciate each other's presence.

Dekomori was the first to break the silence, "I believe that I informed you of my intention to reveal what happened to me while you were gone once you told me about what was on your mind. I suppose now is the best time to relay that information." Nibutani had totally forgotten about that. Dekomori had made that promise that night when Nibutani was taking her home after their reunion.

"I had my own set of difficulties during your time of absence," Dekomori began. "It's always been my intention to create a contract with you, similar to Rikka and Yuuta's, so it was difficult to accept that you were no longer making an appearance at the club. When you stopped showing up to the club room, after our battle in the hallway, I was lost on what move I should make next."

Nibutani felt guilt eat at her again. That wasn't her finest moment, and if she could take back how she acted, she would in a heartbeat.

"I eventually decided to wait for your return," Dekomori continued. "Mitsuki kept trying to convince me that I should give up on you. She claimed that you didn't care, but I knew she was wrong. In the end, my waiting paid off, and you returned. It was a difficult test of willpower, but I managed to pull through, as expected of the Mjolnir Hammer."

Nibutani smiled and squeezed Dekomori's hand tighter. "I'm glad you waited. It's something you shouldn't have had to do, but I'm glad you did it. You really are something else..." Dekomori tightened her grip as well.

"On that note, I need to go inform Mitsuki that I cannot accept her contract. I believe she is getting extra training by our classmates, so I should seek her out before she returns back home," Dekomori said. Nibutani nodded in agreement.

"I'll wait for you out front. I'll take you home," Nibutani said. Dekomori smiled widely. The twin tailed girl grabbed her bag, waved goodbye to Nibutani, and ran out the club room.

_Wow, I can't believe that things really turned out in my favor. I was a little worried for a moment there. I didn't expect Mitsuki to make a bold move like confessing. Maybe now she'll back off for good. Though I wouldn't be surprised if she has a plan b. I should keep my guard up._

Satisfied with the days events, Nibutani gathered her things and made her way to the front of the school.

* * *

Nibutani stood in the front of the school. Twenty minutes must have passed before she felt someone's presence beside her. She turned around, expecting to see Dekomori standing before her, but saw Mitsuki standing next to her instead, a sour expression on her face.

"So I heard that Sanae accepted your confession," Mitsuki said. "I'm impressed that you managed to pluck up the courage to say anything. I thought you'd end up running away with your tail between your legs."

Nibutani bristled, "You really are a sore loser, aren't you? You just can't handle things not going your way, can you? It must be hard knowing that putting up your sweet, bubbly front won't always get you what you want. Maybe you should have stayed as that shy, innocent girl you used to be." Mitsuki's eyes flared in anger.

"Don't even try and act like you understand what that's all about!" Mitsuki spat back. "You couldn't possibly understand why I do what I do! I transformed myself because I had no other choice! I may not always express who I truly am inside, but at least people see me as a person and not some object they can abuse and taunt whenever they feel like it!"

"It's funny, you're so quick to pass judgement on others, but as soon as someone does the same to you, your defenses go up and you act like it's the worst offense someone could commit. Hypocrisy at it's finest," Nibutani retorted.

"Whatever. I just hope you have the decency to appreciate what you have." Mitsuki glared at Nibutani.

Nibutani's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I hope you can love Sanae for who she really is," Mitsuki growled. "It would be a shame if she thought you felt differently. I can imagine that it would be hard for her to be with someone who didn't appreciate who she was. Who knows, maybe she'd try to change herself completely. That would be truly unfortunate, wouldn't it?" Mitsuki threw one last glare at Nibutani and stalked off.

_Love Dekomori for who she really is? What does she mean by that? I wouldn't have fallen for her if that wasn't the case. Dekomori can't possibly think I feel otherwise. She wouldn't want to change herself just to make me happier. That isn't like her at all._

Nibutani suddenly remembered her earlier conversation with the first year. Dekomori had asked Nibutani if she would prefer it if she was no longer the Mjolnir Hammer. Nibutani panicked. She hoped that Dekomori really wasn't thinking that she wanted change. Nibutani thought that her confession cleared that issue up. She would have to keep an eye on the tiny girl.

Nibutani waited for a few more minutes before Dekomori showed up.

"Sorry, a teacher asked me to assist them with a very important mission, so that's why I'm late," Dekomori explained.

"It's fine," Nibutani smiled. "Let's head home." Nibutani could worry about Mitsuki's words later. For now, all she wanted to do was enjoy the presence of the girl walking beside her. As they walked away from the school grounds, Nibutani felt Dekomori's hand brush against hers. The blonde girl eventually grasped Nibutani's with her own. They walked home hand in hand.


	8. Chapter 8

"A date? Really? So I guess this means you two are going out, right?"

Nibutani leaned against the window in the club room. She was waiting for Dekomori, who stayed behind in class to help tutor some of her classmates. The day before, when Dekomori accepted her confession, Nibutani had taken her home and ended up making plans for a first date. When they had finally arrived at the gates of Dekomori's house, the two girls agreed on a movie and dinner date. Neither of them wanted to put unnecessary pressure on the other, so it seemed like the easiest thing to do as a first date.

Nibutani was slightly apprehensive about telling the rest of the group about her newly formed relationship with the first year. She didn't think Kumin or Yuuta would care, as they seemed very supportive of her and Dekomori before they got together. Rikka was the one who worried her. Dekomori and Rikka had a very strong bond, so it wasn't crazy to think that she might react strongly to this new development.

Dekomori had clearly been upset at Rikka and Yuuta's relationship in the beginning. Nibutani initially thought it was only due to hidden romantic feelings within the twin tailed girl, but some of it seemed to stem from general protectiveness. When someone has formed a strong bond with another, it's likely that they'll want to protect the other from harm, physical or emotional. Since Dekomori's initial reaction to Rikka's relationship had been intense, Nibutani worried that Rikka would react similarly when she found out about Dekomori's new relationship.

It was for that reason that Nibutani was hoping to put off telling them. Unfortunately for her, she wasn't alone in the club room. Yuuta had decided to spend the afternoon there as well. Yuuta, who was unaccustomed to seeing Nibutani spend time in the club room alone, had asked her what she was doing. Nibutani thought it better to just tell him then. There was no point in lying.

"Yeah, we got together yesterday," Nibutani replied. "We decided to just go ahead and get the first date out of the way, so we're going to the movies today. I'm waiting here for her to finish tutoring her classmates." Nibutani found herself holding her breath, waiting for Yuuta's response.

"I see. Well good for you," Yuuta smiled. Nibutani released the breath she had been holding. She was glad that he had no issue with it, not that Nibutani had really expected him too. There was no reason for him to be against her relationship with Dekomori, so Nibutani wondered why she felt so nervous about revealing it.

"I wonder how Rikka will take it…" Nibutani mumbled.

"Don't worry about it," Yuuta reassured. "She might be surprised, but I highly doubt she'll have any issue with it. If anything, she'll be happy for Dekomori. They are close after all. If it really does worry you though, have Dekomori take care of it. Rikka couldn't possibly react badly if she heard it from Dekomori herself."

Nibutani nodded. That sounded like the best course of action. Dekomori knew Rikka a lot better than she did, so she would probably have an easier time talking to her about it. It probably wouldn't be hard for the younger girl at all. Nibutani could practically hear Dekomori taunt her about getting so worked up over something like this.

"You don't need to worry about Kumin either. She's been wanting you two to get together for a while now," Yuuta continued. "If you were to worry about anyone, it should be Mitsuki. It's pretty obvious that she's interested in Dekomori as well. I don't know how well she'll take it. I can't imagine she'll be very happy about it."

"She already knows," Nibutani said. "She actually confessed to Dekomori before I did. I suppose I was just lucky that Dekomori had feelings for me instead. It was Mitsuki's confession that drove me to confess in the first place." Even though she didn't care for the purple haired girl, Nibutani had to admit that she was thankful that Mitsuki's presence was so intimidating. Nibutani was sure that she wouldn't have gotten to this point with Dekomori if Mitsuki hadn't been around.

Yuuta looked at her, surprised. "Whoa, that's intense. A double confession? How'd Mitsuki react to that?"

"Not well," Nibutani responded. "We had an argument. She was really aggressive about it actually."

"Aggressive? That doesn't really sound like her…" Yuuta noted. It seemed like Nibutani was the only one who had been exposed to Mitsuki's inner aggressiveness. That wasn't too surprising. Nibutani knew that Mitsuki liked to cover her own personality with fake friendliness. Mitsuki was more abrasive than she let on.

"Yeah, well it doesn't really matter. What's done is done." Nibutani decided to keep quiet about the details of her confrontations with Mitsuki. It seemed unwise to stir up more drama between her and the purple haired girl. It's not like it was anyone else's business anyway. Whatever happened between her and Mitsuki would stay between the two of them.

Nibutani heard the door slide open and saw Rikka and Dekomori walk in. The two girls were chatting excitedly. Nibutani noticed that the first year's hair was free from the usual pigtails.

"This is truly a courageous task you are undertaking. You've even disarmed yourself. I suppose I should come to expect these kinds of things from the Mjolnir Hammer. I would not have been able to complete a mission like this," Rikka praised.

Dekomori beamed, "I could not have done it without the years of training I had as your servant. You have trained me to be as strong as the mightiest gods! I am confident that this mission can be completed without my weaponry!" The two girls high fived each other.

Nibutani sighed, "What are you two going on about now?"

"Fear not, Fake Summer. I have the situation under control!" Dekomori grinned.

"You're still calling me a fake? Geez, I thought you'd lay off that by now," Nibutani groaned. Dekomori didn't respond. The younger girl stood in place, shuffling her feet. The atmosphere quickly turned awkward.

"Hey, don't you two have a thing to go to?" Yuuta asked. Nibutani silently thanked him for breaking the silence.

"Indeed!" Dekomori answered. "Let us go!" The blonde girl turned around and marched out of the club room. Nibutani, voicing a quick goodbye to Yuuta and Rikka, hurried after her.

Nibutani caught up to the younger girl as she was heading down the stairs towards the exit. Dekomori stared straight ahead and didn't utter a single word. Nibutani reached over and bumped her hand against the blonde girl's. Dekomori allowed Nibutani to intertwine their fingers.

"You okay?" Nibutani asked. The first year was uncharacteristically quiet.

"Sorry," Dekomori mumbled. This apology surprised Nibutani. Dekomori wasn't one to apologize a lot, especially over something small.

"What for?" Nibutani inquired. As far as she could remember, Dekomori hadn't done anything recently that warranted an apology.

"You got upset when I called you Fake Summer. Sorry," Dekomori repeated.

Nibutani smiled, "Don't worry about it. I wasn't really serious about what I said. It was sort of a natural reaction I guess." It was strange that Dekomori was worried about something like this in the first place. Dekomori never gave a second thought about calling Nibutani a fake, so she wondered why it was coming up all of a sudden.

"Really?" Dekomori asked. She grinned as Nibutani nodded.

"Good!" Dekomori cheered. "After all, I was only calling you by your proper title. I mean, you _are _a fake." Dekomori shot Nibutani a cheeky grin. Nibutani squeezed the younger girl's hand as hard as she could. Dekomori yelped in pain.

"I can only tolerate so much," Nibutani smirked. Dekomori removed her hand from Nibutani's and rubbed at it.

"You're rather strong for a fake…" Dekomori muttered.

Nibutani chuckled, "That's payback for almost crushing me to death while I slept." Dekomori pouted.

_Why'd she get so worried over something stupid like that? She's never held back on calling me a fake before. I hope this isn't because Mitsuki told her that I'll hate her because I don't like chuunibyou. She should know that isn't the truth. Maybe I need to reassure her again..._

Nibutani shoved her thoughts aside. There was no point in thinking about it now. She didn't want to ruin their first date by thinking negatively. Nibutani grabbed Dekomori's hand for a second time. The two girls continued their banter as they headed for the movie theater in town.

* * *

"What do you want to see?" Nibutani asked. There were a large variety of movies available. A romance movie seemed like a good choice for a date, albeit rather cheesy. Nibutani's cheeks reddened. It would be really embarrassing watching a mushy movie with the younger girl, but if that's what she wished to do, then Nibutani would comply.

Nibutani's eye's scanned the board that held the movie names. There were also quite a few sci-fi movies out. They seemed like something that Dekomori would enjoy. She always got excited at the idea of giant robots, monsters, and aliens, so would undoubtedly enjoy any movie with those things in it.

"How about a sci-fi movie?" Nibutani suggested. "You like that stuff, right?"

"Yeah! I've been wanting to see this one. Is that okay with you?" Dekomori asked. She pointed to movie called "The Last Week". Nibutani looked at the description. It was about a group of scientists who unintentionally doomed the entire human race by creating aggressive and intelligent robot beings. Nibutani wasn't surprised that Dekomori wanted to see something like this. It seemed to coincide with her interests.

"Yeah, that's totally fine," Nibutani replied. She walked up to the ticket counter and purchased tickets for the both of them.

The two girls walked into the building. They decided to not buy any food since they would be eating right after the movie. Once they entered the correct theater room, Dekomori raced to the very top. According to the younger girl, she liked sitting there because it made her feel less small since she got to look down at everyone else in the theater. Nibutani thought the reasoning was silly, but she didn't bother to argue about it.

They sat chatting idly with one another until the lights finally dimmed. As the movie started playing, Nibutani fully realized her situation. This was a movie date. She had heard from various people that couple's were supposed to hold hands and even kiss during movie dates. Was that something Dekomori was expecting? They've already held hands before, so that wouldn't be an issue, but in terms of kissing, Nibutani had only received a kiss on the cheek so far.

Nibutani glanced over at the smaller girl, who seemed completely engrossed in the film. Nibutani could feel her heart beat faster. She wanted to reach over and grab the blonde's hand, but her sudden nervousness was making her palms sweat. She folded her hands in her lap and sighed. She inwardly kicked herself for thinking about something like this in the first place. It was detracting from her movie experience.

_Stop thinking about it, Shinka. It isn't important. That idiot probably doesn't consider dating customs anyway… But what if she does, and I'm not aware of it? What of she makes the first move? Am I ready for that? I mean, we've only just started dating. Though maybe it would be better to get it out of the way so we don't get stuck in dating limbo like Yuuta and Rikka. _

Nibutani wrung her hands. She had always been so quick to give out dating advice, but now that she was in that situation herself, it was incredibly intimidating. She looked over at Dekomori for a second time. The younger girl had moved to the edge of her seat, her hands clasped together in front of her. She was absorbed in the movie playing and was unaware of the inner turmoil within the girl beside her. Nibutani sighed. Even if she really wanted something to happen, she doubted it would considering the younger girl's fascination with whatever was happening in the movie.

Nibutani turned her attention back to the screen. She had been so focused on her own thoughts that she missed a large chunk of the movie. Nibutani had no idea what was going on and she didn't know who most of the characters were. Nibutani closed her eyes and silently criticized herself for not paying attention. At least the other girl seemed to be enjoying the movie.

Nibutani managed to focus on the screen for the remainder of the film. When it ended, Dekomori jumped out of her chair.

"That was awesome!" Dekomori shouted. "The best part was when the robots started repairing themselves when the humans ran out of bullets and then they obliterated everything! I want to be a robot!" Dekomori grinned widely. Her excited rambling was interrupted by the low rumbling of her stomach.

Nibutani chuckled, "Come on, let's go get something to eat."

The two girls made their way out of the theater. Dekomori gushed about the movie as they searched for a restaurant. Not wanting anything big or fancy, they ended up at a small cafe. It was mostly empty, save for a older couple that sat near the back. A young waitress with long brown hair came over, seated them, and walked off. Nibutani noticed that the waitress had a small white flower in her hair. The girl seemed familiar, but Nibutani couldn't recall meeting someone like her before, so she decided to ignore it.

After a few moments the waitress reappeared at their table. "What would you like today?" she asked. Dekomori ordered a sandwich and Nibutani ordered a salad. After taking their orders, the waitress walked towards the kitchen.

"That was fun," Dekomori said. "We should return to see another movie someday."

Nibutani nodded, "Yeah, I agree. I bet we'll be spending a lot more time together now that we're dating. I wonder if that'll be okay with Rikka…" Nibutani was hoping that the first year would volunteer to talk to Rikka about it. It seemed like discussing it would be a lot easier for the younger girl.

"No worries!" Dekomori grinned. "That's what we were discussing back in the club room when we walked in! She was very supportive of the formation of our contract!" Nibutani sighed in relief. If that was true, Rikka had no issue with their relationship. That left only one person to deal with.

"That's good. Now Mitsuki's the only one left who might cause some trouble." Nibutani said. The purple haired girl had made it obvious that she disapproved of their relationship, and Nibutani wouldn't be surprised if she didn't let it go easily.

"I have already spoken to Mitsuki, and she seemed to understand when I explained everything to her. She even wished me luck with our contract," Dekomori explained. Nibutani was almost 100% positive that whatever Mitsuki had said to Dekomori had been part of her act to cover up what she was actually feeling. The confrontation Nibutani had with her in front of the school proved that.

"If you say so," Nibutani sighed. "Mitsuki Akiyama, what a character…." Nibutani suddenly heard the sound of breaking glass. She looked up and saw the waitress from before bending over to pick up pieces of a shattered cup. It looked like she had run into a table, which had caused her to accidentally drop the glass. She must have not been paying much attention.

The waitress rushed back into the kitchen, carrying the pieces of the broken glass in a small handkerchief. A few minutes later, the waitress emerged from the kitchen holding a tray that contained two plates of food and two glass of water. She walked over to their table, more carefully this time, and set the plates down.

"I'm sorry for the commotion," the waitress apologized. "I wasn't watching where I was going, and I ended up crashing into one of the tables." The girl looked like she had seen a ghost. Her face was pale and she shook slightly. Her eyes darted around the room in an attempt to avoid eye contact with the two girls sitting at the table.

"It's alright," Nibutani reassured. It was odd that the young waitress was so shaken up. Dropping a glass didn't seem like too big a deal, so Nibutani wondered what had caused the girl's sudden anxiety. The waitress bowed and hurried off.

"That was weird. She's weird," Dekomori said, her mouth full of food. The younger girl had already started munching on her sandwich.

"I wouldn't worry about it. It has nothing to do with us," Nibutani stated. The two girls ate their meal and resumed their chat about the movie they had seen. They had almost finished eating when Dekomori's phone suddenly buzzed. She pulled her phone from her bag and answered it.

"Hello?" Dekomori answered. "Yeah, I'm out with a friend…. Okay. Yeah, I can do that…. Okay… See you soon." Dekomori hung up and wolfed down the rest of her sandwich. She reached into her bag and pulled out a 1000 yen bill and placed it on the table.

"Sorry, I must rush home," Dekomori explained. "My father is coming back from an important mission and my mother wants me back at the fortress to greet him."

"I understand," Nibutani said. "Be careful on your way home." Dekomori nodded. She leaned over and gave Nibutani a peck on the cheek before running out the door.

Nibutani rested her head on her left hand and leaned on her elbow. Since Dekomori had to leave so suddenly, the rest of the evening became free. Nibutani didn't feel like going home right away, so she would have to figure out what to do to pass the time.

Nibutani looked up and saw the waitress lingering by the door to the kitchen. She was staring at Nibutani, and she looked like she was debating on whether or not to approach the table. Nibutani decided to wave her over. The waitress walked up to the table, the check in hand.

"Are you okay?" Nibutani asked. "You seem kind of jittery. We weren't too loud, were we?" The waitress shook her head. She placed the check on the table. She didn't say anything and she seemed incredibly uncomfortable.

Nibutani was about to ask the question again when the waitress finally spoke up. "How do you know Mitsuki Akiyama?" she asked. Nibutani stared at her, bewildered.

"Um, w-we go to the same school," Nibutani stammered. She hadn't expected this girl to know Mitsuki. Did the waitress overhear her and Dekomori talking? Was that why she was acting so nervous?

"She's back in public school…" the waitress mumbled. "In what way are you involved with her?"

"She's in my club," Nibutani replied. "Who are you? How do you know Mitsuki?" Nibutani was taken aback by the waitress' sudden interest in the purple haired girl. With the way she was acting before, it seemed like she would want to avoid the topic altogether.

The brown haired waitress sat down across from Nibutani. "My name is Aya Fujiyoshi," she said. "I used to go to middle school with Mitsuki." That's why the girl had seemed familiar. Nibutani recalled Mitsuki telling her about a girl who liked to put flowers in her hair. This was the girl who had caused Mitsuki so much grief.

"You're the girl who Mitsuki befriended in middle school," Nibutani stated. "You're the one who rejected her love letter and had your friends show it to the entire class. Wow, I never thought I'd run into you." Aya's shoulders slumped and her head hung. She looked ashamed.

"Yeah, that's me," Aya muttered. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you find out about me?"

Nibutani told Aya about how she first met Mitsuki. She explained how Mitsuki had become part of the group and that she attached herself to Dekomori. She explained what had happened when Mitsuki decided to kiss Dekomori and the fallout from that. Nibutani ended up unintentionally talking about everything that had happened recently involving Mitsuki.

"I see," Aya said, who had been listening intently. "I'm surprised that she told you about her past…" Aya squirmed in her seat.

"She's changed a lot from middle school, you know," Nibutani pointed out. "What you did really screwed her up, so she changed herself after she was pulled out of school. She's a lot more confident now." Even though Nibutani didn't like Mitsuki at all, she couldn't help but feel defensive while in the presence of the one who cause her to be bullied.

"I know," Aya said quietly. Nibutani's eyes widened. She knew? Mitsuki never mentioned seeing Aya again. Had they reunited after the incident?

"That girl that was with you before, " Aya said, "Is that the same girl that Mitsuki took an interest in? From what I saw, it seems like you two are dating. Is that true?" Nibutani nodded. A million thoughts swarmed in her head at once. Why was this girl asking about Dekomori? What was going on?

"That's what I thought. I know you just met me and this will probably sound rather strange coming from a stranger, but I have one piece of crucial advice for you. Stay away from Mitsuki Akiyama." Aya looked Nibutani straight in eye. Her expression was serious, and it somewhat unnerved Nibutani.

"Why should I listen to you?" Nibutani asked. "I mean, you are the reason she had to be pulled out of school. Yeah, she can be aggressive and sometimes she doesn't regard other people's feelings as much as she should, but I hardly think it's necessary to completely avoid her. Plus, Mitsuki is friends with Dekomori, so I can't just pull away from her because you told me to."

"I understand why you would feel that way," Aya said. "But you haven't been told the whole story. From what I've heard from you, it seems like she neglected to tell you certain important aspects of her past. That makes it convenient for her, but for others, not so much." Nibutani felt anxious. She couldn't tell if Aya was being overly dramatic or if there really was important information that she wasn't aware of.

"Care to elaborate?" Nibutani asked. She needed to know exactly what was going on. Every second that passed made her more fearful. Aya made it sound like Mitsuki was a lot worse than she thought.

Aya glanced around the cafe. The old couple had left some time ago, so Nibutani was the only customer left.

"My boss isn't around right now, so I suppose I have time to tell you," Aya said. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. It looked like she was trying to gather her thoughts. The sight embedded more fear into Nibutani.

"Mitsuki failed to tell you about the time we met again," Aya began. "It must have been year after she left middle school. After she was gone, I spent most of my time feeling guilty. I know what I did was wrong. It's my fault that she's the way she is now. I can never apologize enough to make it up to you."

Nibutani looked at her in shock. "Make it up to me? What do you mean?" She had never met Aya before this, so there was no way Aya had ever done something bad to her personally.

"Anything Mitsuki has done to you is my fault," Aya whispered. "Every bad thing Mitsuki does to someone is my fault. If I hadn't done what I did, she wouldn't be like this." Aya buried her face in her hands and whimpered.

"Calm down," Nibutani said, trying to sooth the other girl. "It's all okay. Just start from the beginning and we'll figure this out together." Aya lifted her head and nodded feebly.

"I spent a lot of time thinking about her after she left. All of my friends were happy to see her go, and their glee just made me feel even more guilty. I had been her first friend, and I had completely turned my back on her. I was so concerned with how my friends and classmates would act towards me that I was actually happy when she got taunted instead of me. When I realized how wrong that was, it was too late. She was already gone."

Nibutani felt slight relief knowing that Aya felt remorse over what had happened. It made this whole situation a lot easier to swallow. It would have been a lot harder to deal with if Aya had felt no guilt at all. Though Aya probably wouldn't have approached her in the first place if that was the case.

Aya continued, "One day, I grew sick of wallowing in guilt. I knew I needed to make things right, so I made it my goal to seek her out and apologize to her. I tried calling her household first, but no one ever answered. It took me a long time to work up the courage to go to her house directly. When I finally did, I wasn't able to meet with her then either. A really scary looking man had answered the door. He told me that Mitsuki wasn't around and to go away, so I did."

"How did you manage to finally meet her?" Nibutani asked.

"It was mostly luck," Aya answered. "One day while I was out shopping, I ran into her. It was a surreal experience. She was so different than before. She wore a huge smile on her face and she was cheerful and kind to the people who worked in the shops. I remember the first time we locked eyes, her expression changed to one of sheer horror. If was a brief change, but it was long enough for me to notice."

Nibutani wasn't surprised. It must have been a huge shock to see the face of someone who had such a negative impact on her life, especially after a whole year had passed.

"The surprising thing is that she actually allowed me to approach her," Aya said. "She didn't say a word to me when I did. She just stared at me. Her expression was unreadable, and it was very intimidating. I eventually fell to my knees and begged for her forgiveness. I must have apologized a hundred times. It was a pathetic sight, I'm sure, but she deserved an apology as dramatic as that." Aya grimaced at the memory. Nibutani had a feeling it had more to do with what was coming instead of the actual act of apologizing.

"What did Mitsuki do? Did she accept your apology?" Nibutani asked. She doubted that that would have been easy for Mitsuki considering what she had gone through.

"Surprisingly enough, she did," Aya answered. "I remember her holding out her hand to help me get up. She smiled at me and thanked me for apologizing. She told me about how she worked to change herself so she wouldn't be so shy anymore. She said that she had seen great results already and that she had a great group of friends. I was ecstatic. I had been so worried that I had damaged her beyond repair, so hearing that things were getting better for her made me happy."

"At the end of our conversation, I remember her asking me to join her for lunch one day when I was free. I happily agreed. I was so intent on fixing the mistakes I had made, that I was blind to what was really going on. I quickly fell into her trap. I'm sure running into me that day was the best case scenario for her. I was an easy target in the state that I was in."

"What did she do to you? It seemed like everything went well when you apologized to her," Nibutani said. This whole story was confusing. Nibutani wasn't quite sure what to expect.

"At the time, I thought that everything had went well too. We even got to a point where we would spend a lot of time together after I got out of class. She really had changed dramatically. She took more of a leadership position and she was often the one to make the decisions on where we would go and what we would do. She did everything with a smile on her face too. It wasn't until it was too late that I realized what she was up to."

Aya looked visibly shaken, as if she were relieving horrible memories. Nibutani pushed her half empty glass of water across the table. Aya grabbed it and held it with both hands. Her hands shook as she raised the glass to her mouth. She took a few sips, which seemed to help her calm down.

"She told me that she loved me," Aya continued. "She said it was no longer in a romantic sense. It was now platonic according to her. She went on and on about how I would always be her best friend because I was the first person who had been willing to talk to her. She referred to the incident between us as a minor speed bump in our relationship. I had believed her when she said that. I truly believed that we could repair our fractured friendship. I was foolish for thinking that was possible."

"The more time we spent together, the further she dug her claws into me. It got to the point where she could make me do anything. If there was something that I didn't want to do, she'd guilt trip me. She would accuse me of faking our friendship. She would cry and say that I was reminding her of what I did in the past. It made me feel so guilty. I always consoled her and I promised that I would do anything for her. I was so desperate to fix things that I ignored the fact that she was pulling my strings relentlessly." Aya paused to take another sip of water.

Nibutani's jaw dropped. That was clearly emotional manipulation. Nibutani felt bad for the other girl. What she had done was wrong, but no one deserved to be manipulated. She wondered if Mitsuki accepted Aya's apology solely for the purpose of getting revenge on her. The thought was sickening and Nibutani prayed that she was wrong.

"One day, Mitsuki landed the final blow," Aya murmured. "We were in a shop, and there was this beautiful necklace on display that Mitsuki was admiring. She eventually turned to me and asked me take it and hide it in my bag. I initially refused, but she got angry. She said she doubted that I wanted to fix our friendship because I was never willing to do anything for her. I ended up taking the necklace out of guilt. We were caught of course. I had expected Mitsuki to confess alongside me, but that was the last thing she did."

"Mitsuki had apparently grown popular amongst the people in the shopping district. Since she was home schooled and didn't have to attend school every day, she had more opportunities to be around them, and they all eventually became friends. They had all fallen prey to Mitsuki's friendly demeanor. It became clear to me that she had them under her control when she started crying and accusing me of forcing her to steal. She told the shopkeeper and the policeman who later arrived that I was the bully who forced her out of school. They immediately took her side. It was devastating."

"What happened after that? You didn't get arrested did you?" Nibutani asked.

"No, I didn't," Aya replied. "My parents were called, however, and they punished me for trying to steal. They wouldn't even let me explain the situation from my perspective. I could see Mitsuki's smug grin as they screamed at me in front of the entire shopping district. That's when I knew that she had planned my downfall the moment we reunited. It was revenge for what I had done to her."

Nibutani slumped in her seat, dumbfounded. She knew that Mitsuki was aggressive, but that had been downright cruel. Nibutani had been suspicious of her motives before, but she never would have never believed that the purple haired girl was capable of something like that.

"I had it coming," Aya hung her head. "None of that would have happened if I hadn't been awful to her in school. I had pushed Mitsuki into a corner, and she believed the only way to protect herself was to learn how to control any situation. All Mitsuki desires is control. That's been made painfully clear to me, and it's all my fault." Aya's body trembled.

"You can't honestly blame yourself for that." Nibutani argued. "It was Mitsuki's choice to emotionally manipulate you into doing things you didn't want to do. Yeah, you did some stupid things in middle school, but you didn't deserve that kind of treatment. Mitsuki obviously has a few screws loose, so please don't blame yourself."

"I think you've misunderstood my purpose of telling you this," Aya said, "I do not mean to antagonize her or paint her in dark colors. I only wish to warn you of what she's capable of doing. I acted as a catalyst for something much bigger to emerge. My actions in middle school released something within her that is truly terrifying. I do not believe she has any control over it. It's just how her mind functions now. It's destructive, yes, but I doubt it's her fault."

"So, like a mental illness?" Nibutani asked. That did make a lot of sense. Many of Mitsuki's actions were very irrational. Nibutani wouldn't be surprised if something like that was going on, but she had no real way of knowing.

"I suppose you could call it that," Aya answered. "Mitsuki has a deep rooted hatred for people in general. She just doesn't trust anyone. She believes that in order to thrive in this world, she needs total control of the people around her. She rarely cares about the connections she makes. Mitsuki never had much interaction with people before middle school, and when she finally did, it was traumatic for her. I'm not surprised that she has this viewpoint."

Nibutani had trouble wrapping her mind around the whole thing. Aya claimed that Mitsuki had some mental illness that caused her to want absolute control, but how did she know this? Nibutani doubted that Mitsuki told her, so where did she get the information from?

"You're probably wondering why I think Mitsuki feels like I said she does," Aya said. "I believe that because I've gotten proof. I returned to her house one day to confront her parents about what had happened in the shop. They didn't seem surprised upon hearing the story. Apparently, Mitsuki had voiced her hatred for people and how she thought everyone was out to get her. I asked them why they hadn't taken her to get help. They seemed too worn out to care anymore."

"That's awful…" Nibutani murmured. If Mitsuki's parents no longer cared enough to help their daughter, it was no wonder she had spiraled out of control.

"Mitsuki hides all of this under a facade of happiness and friendliness. She uses it to gain people's trust, so they cannot hurt her. It truly is sad," Aya stated.

"If that really is the case, why'd she get so attached to Dekomori?" Nibutani asked. It didn't make sense for her to like Dekomori as much as she did if she really hated people.

"She must see something in her that she does not see in other people," Aya replied. "That girl probably acts as a beacon of hope for Mitsuki, who has lost all faith in people. Your girlfriend is probably in the safest position right now. I highly doubt Mitsuki would do anything to harm her. She'd probably do anything to protect her." Nibutani nodded. Looking back at Mitsuki's behavior, that made a lot of sense.

"If Mitsuki has painted a target on anyone, I suspect it's you," Aya said. "You have something that Mitsuki could not attain, something that she holds dear to her. Considering what has happened between you two so far, she definitely does not trust you and will most likely do whatever it takes to take Dekomori away from you, and she'll do it in a way that exempts her from all suspicion. This is why I told you to stay away from her."

Nibutani's head was spinning. This was just too much for her to handle. The possibility of Mitsuki being mentally ill was something that she never expected to have to deal with, and she had no idea how to go about handling it.

"What do I do?" Nibutani asked, her voice barely rising above a whisper.

"Keep away from her as much as possible. She'll try to weasel into your head, so don't believe a word she says. Tell your girlfriend as well," Aya answered. The waitress looked towards the kitchen. She got up out of her seat.

"I need to go," Aya said. "I'm sorry that you got caught up in all this. I didn't think Mitsuki would ever return to school. If you ever need to talk, I'm here every night until nine." Aya gave a short goodbye and hurried back into the kitchen.

Nibutani left some money on the table and left the cafe. She felt numb. She was in way over her head. It was intimidating to think about how much influence Mitsuki had on people. Despite all she had heard, she couldn't help but feel bad for the girl. Feeling like you couldn't trust anyone in the world must be awful. Nibutani groaned. She had no idea how to approach this. It was beyond her realm of understanding.

_How do I deal with someone who might be mentally ill? It's technically not her fault, but I can't let her do whatever she wants. If she truly doesn't care about people, then she must not care about the others either, excluding Dekomori apparently. I want to protect them… but I also want to help Mitsuki. I don't know why, but I do. How should I handle this?_

Thinking back on her interactions with Mitsuki, what Aya claimed seemed likely. The more Dekomori gravitated towards Nibutani, the more aggressive Mitsuki got. No one else had seen this personality shift besides her. They all believed in Mitsuki's fake bubbly personality because that's all the purple haired girl was willing to reveal. Nibutani had no idea how she would bring this up to Dekomori. She wasn't even sure if the blonde girl would believe her.

Then there was the possibility of Mitsuki manipulating everyone's thoughts to suit her desires. She had already tried that with Dekomori by using Nibutani's dislike of chuunibyou, and it seemed like it may have worked considering Dekomori's growing doubt. The thought that Mitsuki might of managed to get into the twin tailed girl's head scared Nibutani. She would have to be extremely wary of Mitsuki from now on.

Nibutani, feeling completely exhausted, decided to head home for the night. Worrying about this all night wouldn't help her at all. She could start figuring out her first course of action after she got a good nights rest.

* * *

A/N: I've decided to put my other fic on hiatus until I finish this one because school is getting busy again and I don't have the time to deal with two fics right now.

Also, Mitsuki's mental illness is loosely based on paranoid personality disorder in case anyone was curious.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Here's a more lighthearted chapter for those who requested it.

* * *

Nibutani grabbed the chains attached to the swing she was seated on. She twisted her body to the left, making the chains wrap around each other. The chains continued to curl until they were unable to go any further. Nibutani leaned back and picked her feet up off the ground. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to focus solely on the feeling of being swung around in a circle. It wasn't until the swing rested back in it's original position that Nibutani reopened her eyes.

"I'm pretty sure that isn't how a swing works." Nibutani looked over to the source of the voice. Dekomori was sitting on top of the monkey bars, gazing down at her.

The younger girl had insisted on coming to a playground after class had ended. It was only a short five minute walk away from their school, and Dekomori apparently visited it often. Nibutani had initially been averse to the idea, afraid that classmates would find her spending time at a playground, but with some coaxing from Dekomori, she eventually gave in.

When they had arrived, the younger girl had immediately made her way to the monkey bars. She had managed to pull her body through one of the spaces between the bars and was now resting comfortably on top.

Nibutani sighed, "I know how a swing works. I just like spinning around on it. It's fun. Plus, that's definitely not how monkey bars work. You're supposed to swing from bar to bar, you know." Dekomori grinned at the retort.

"I have a better vantage point from here," Dekomori said. "I can see the entirety of the battlefield, so that gives me the upper hand. It's also a good place to assess any situation I might find myself in. In fact, this whole area suits that purpose." Nibutani knew that was probably Dekomori's fancy way of saying that this playground served as the place she could go to think. She wondered why the blonde girl was so keen on bringing her here.

Nibutani had to admit that this was a nice spot to go to think. Despite it being quite close to the school, it was a relatively quiet area. Not many people were around, save for those passing by. The trip to the playground had been a nice break from what had been happening lately. It had been a week since Nibutani had her run in with Aya, and she spent a lot of time feeling wary and restless.

Mitsuki was acting twice as clingy as normal. There wasn't a second in the day where she left Dekomori's side, which frustrated Nibutani to no end. Not only was she unable to get any alone time with her new girlfriend, she also had to worry about Mitsuki being around Dekomori as much as she was. Nibutani hadn't taken Aya's warning lightly. She intended to reveal the information to the twin tailed girl, but she couldn't find any time to do so, considering Mitsuki's clinginess. It was almost as if the purple haired girl realized that Nibutani knew things she wasn't supposed to know.

"Why did you invite me here?" Nibutani asked. "One would think you would want to keep this as your personal spot." Regardless of the reason, Nibutani was glad that the first year had decided to take her here. They had skipped club today, which gave them the alone time they so desperately wanted. Nibutani wasn't sure how Dekomori managed to dodge Mitsuki, but she was impressed with the first year's ability to sneak away.

"Well, I've been busy training my servant this week, so I haven't been able to see you much," Dekomori replied. "I wanted to go somewhere with you after class, and this was the first place that came to mind. It's quiet because not very many people come here, so I thought it was the best place to go." Nibutani smiled. She got up and walked over to the monkey bars.

Nibutani held her hand up towards Dekomori. "In that case, there's no use in us being split apart. It's actually counterproductive. Let's find something we can do together." Dekomori grabbed Nibutani's outstretched hand with her own and slowly slid her body off the edge of the monkey bars. She dropped to the ground, using Nibutani's body to stop her momentum.

Dekomori pointed over at a rotating net structure. "Let's play on that!" The younger girl rushed over to where she was pointing. It was a circular platform, about a foot off the ground, with a pole at the very center. The pole ran all the way to the ground, holding the platform in place. There was netting attached to the edges of the platform, and the it came together at the very top of the pole, creating a cone shape. There were square openings on the netting, large enough for a person to climb through.

"What's it supposed to do?" Nibutani asked. It wasn't big enough for people to climb very far, so it didn't seem particularly interesting. Nibutani had to remind herself that she was at a children's playground, and smaller kids probably found the structure to be quite entertaining.

"It's for climbing on," Dekomori explained. "Oh, and you can also spin it!" Dekomori grabbed onto the net and pulled as she walked around the platform. The structure spun with her, and after a few moments, Dekomori leaped onto the netting, grabbing it with both hands. The younger girl grinned as she spun around. When it finally stopped, she beckoned for Nibutani to come over.

"You should spin me!" Dekomori suggested excitedly. She squeezed through one of the openings and sat on the other side of the net. She looked at Nibutani eagerly. Nibutani was amused at the first year's excitement, but the younger girl seemed to forget one very important thing.

"I don't know if that's a good idea," Nibutani hesitated. "You're prone to motion sickness, remember? I don't want you throwing up. I also don't want to be stuck spinning you all afternoon."

Dekomori pouted, "I can handle it. I have been highly trained, so this machine is no match for me. I am not that weak. You can also do what I did and jump onto the platform after it's spinning enough." Nibutani rolled her eyes and smiled. Once the blonde girl had her mind set on something, it was hard to get her to change her mind. It was something they had in common.

Nibutani approached the structure and grabbed onto the netting. She pulled it slowly at first as she walked. She gradually increased her pace to a light jog. Dekomori, who was standing on the inner part of the platform, held on tightly and let out a squeal of delight as the structure spun faster. Nibutani let the net go and watched the structure spin until it stopped.

Dekomori crossed her arms. "You were supposed to jump on with me. Are you afraid? How lame can you get?" Dekomori hid a cheeky grin behind her hand. Nibutani growled. She walked over to Dekomori and poked at her through the net.

Dekomori grabbed the net with her right hand. "Spin me again, but this time grab onto the net where my hand is. If you don't jump on, I'll pull you up myself!" Nibutani sighed. She doubted the younger girl would be able to pull her up, but she decided to comply. Nibutani held onto Dekomori's fist which was grasping the net tightly. She repeated her earlier actions, slowly spinning the structure and then picking up speed. When it reached a suitable speed, she jumped onto the platform.

The first thing Nibutani noticed upon landing on the platform was how close she was to the younger girl. They were standing face to face, the net being the only thing standing between them. She could feel Dekomori release the net and move her hand to intertwine their fingers. Dekomori held her other hand up, which prompted Nibutani to grab that one as well.

Nibutani leaned into the net, wishing it wasn't there to keep her from reaching her girlfriend. She tilted her head down, pressing her forehead against the other girl's. The gaps in the netting were large enough so their noses could touch. Dekomori stared at her, determination flashing in her eyes. Nibutani could feel her cheeks heat up. They had never held such a close proximity for this long before.

Nibutani had to admit that it was nice. They didn't feel comfortable with being affectionate around their friends, so the most they ever did was hold hands underneath the table in the club room. Being this close to her made her happier than she had felt all week.

Nibutani felt her pulse quicken as she noticed Dekomori's chin lift slowly. Almost instinctively, Nibutani lowered her head. Their lips barely touched before Dekomori keeled over. Alarmed by the sudden reaction, Nibutani jumped off the platform and slowed it to a stop. She climbed through one of the gaps in the net, having a more difficult time since she was bigger than the other girl, and hurried over to Dekomori.

"Hey, are you okay?" Nibutani asked. "What just happened?" She kneeled down next to Dekomori, who was laying flat on the platform. She looked sick.

"It's nothing," Dekomori whispered. "I just got a little dizzy. Have no fear. I have been trained to handle this." Dekomori groaned and closed her eyes, feeling the result of spinning in the pit of her stomach.

Nibutani sighed and laid down beside her. "I told you it was a bad idea to go on this. You never seem to take your motion sickness seriously." Nibutani couldn't help but smile. The younger girl was so unwilling to slow down and take time to evaluate her decisions before making them. Nibutani remembered how much she used to hate that aspect of Dekomori, but as they grew closer, Nibutani found it more amusing than annoying.

Looking back at the time she'd spent around the first year, she was surprised how much she had changed. When she first met Dekomori, it wasn't in the most pleasant of ways. She had been desperately searching for the Mabinogion, which held everything about her past within. The younger girl, upon learning that Nibutani burned what she had thought to be the only copy, had flaunted her ability to plan things out by explaining that she had multiple copies. At that moment, Nibutani has been positive that she would never see the twin tailed girl as anything more than a nuisance.

It surprised her how wrong she had been. It was true that for a while, she had detested the presence of the blonde girl, but the more time she had spent with Dekomori, the more she had enjoyed her company. The major turning point had been seeing Dekomori's reaction to Rikka giving up on her chuunibyou. It had broken the younger girl, and Nibutani remembered that being the first time she felt truly empathetic towards Dekomori.

Nibutani had taken it upon herself to comfort the other girl, and as a result, a connection was made. Ever since that incident, they had begun to spend more time together. Most of it was spent fighting, but it never really mattered. Nibutani hadn't even been aware of her growing feelings for the girl until that night on Christmas when they accidentally kissed. Though instead of pursuing a relationship, she hid from her feelings despite her heart telling her otherwise.

Nibutani wished she could go back in time and change that. Things probably would have been a lot different if she had accepted her feelings at that very moment. Nibutani tried to not worry about her behavior in the past since everything had worked out and she was now dating the first year, but she had a hard time stopping herself from over thinking about it.

Her repressed emotions had been a great source of weakness. Everyone had seen how they had affected her, and now that a new threat had arisen, Nibutani was afraid of that being exploited. Mitsuki was apparently very good at manipulating people. If Nibutani truly was her next target, then she wouldn't be surprised if the purple haired girl used her past insecurities against her. No matter how much she tried to mentally prepare herself for whatever was coming, the anxiety never seemed to go away completely.

_I need to tell Dekomori about all of this sooner or later. I haven't really had the opportunity since Mitsuki has been clinging to her, but we're alone today, so now might be my only chance. How do I bring it up? I can't just suddenly say 'hey, your servant might be plotting to kill me in my sleep, so you should keep away from her.' This situation really sucks…_

Regardless of how she did it, she needed to resolve the issues with Mitsuki before they got out of hand, and telling Dekomori about everything seemed like the quickest way to do it. The twin tailed girl was apparently the only person Mitsuki actually cared about, so she would probably be the only one who could get through to the purple haired girl.

That's why Nibutani knew she needed to tell Dekomori now. It was the only way to proceed, and she treasured their new relationship far too much to let things simmer any longer. Mitsuki put everything at risk, and Nibutani wasn't about to lose the bond that had been built up over her high school years. She wouldn't let Mitsuki destroy what she's desired for so long.

"Hey…" Nibutani began. Nibutani turned her head to the side to look over at Dekomori, who was still laying beside her. She paused immediately when she noticed that the younger girl had been staring at her. Brown eyes met blue, and they held each other's gaze without uttering a single word. Nibutani blushed. Dekomori had the same intense look in her eyes when they were spinning around earlier.

"What were you thinking about?" Dekomori asked, finally ending the silence between them. Nibutani didn't respond. She was still recovering from the prolonged eye contact, which had seemingly sent her into a trance. Nibutani had to pull her eyes away to successfully focus on the other girl's words.

"Your face kept changing expressions," Dekomori continued. "One second it looked like you were really happy, then you looked scared, and then you looked determined all of a sudden. It reminded me of those performances you gave for your theatre club." The girl smiled at Nibutani, her eyes sparkling.

The theatre club often held small performances that people could come see, and Nibutani remembered Dekomori talking about how much she enjoyed seeing them perform. The twin tailed girl had said that it was a way for her to observe the skills of her rival without having to battle. Whatever the reason was for Dekomori's attendance to the theatre club shows, it had always made Nibutani happy to see her among the audience. It wasn't until recently that she realized why she had felt that way.

"Don't worry about it," Nibutani replied. "I was just thinking about some stuff I need to deal with later on." Dekomori nodded. The younger girl turned on her side, reached over and grabbed Nibutani's hand.

Nibutani felt a familiar feeling bud in her chest. It was the same feeling she got whenever she came into contact with the other girl. Whenever they held hands, hugged, or even just stood next to each other, Nibutani felt her heart race. It was a kind of feeling that she would never be able to properly explain to anyone.

Nibutani looked back over at Dekomori and their eyes locked for a second time. She needed to talk to Dekomori about everything, but she was finding it difficult to get the words out. Nibutani found herself getting lost in the other girl's gaze once again, and before she realized it, their faces were only a couple inches apart. She had turned on her side, now facing Dekomori, their bodies almost touching. A crimson hue spread across Nibutani's face. The last time they had been this close, they had kissed. It had been brief, however, so it had barely felt like anything at all. Nibutani suddenly longed to discover what it felt like to kiss her properly.

Dekomori didn't move from her place, her eyes fixed intently on the older girl beside her. Nibutani's heart pounded. It seemed like the blonde girl was waiting to see if she would actually do something, though it was hard to tell what she was really thinking. Nibutani felt her body move on it's own, her head slowly inching closer to the other girl's.

Nibutani closed her eyes as she felt their lips press against each other's. An electric current shot through her. She tightened her grip on the younger girl's hand. After a few moments. Nibutani broke the kiss, an audible smack disrupting the silence as Nibutani pulled her lips away. She didn't move her face more than an inch or two away from Dekomori's, and she could feel the shaky breath of the girl laying next to her.

Nibutani's heart thumped rapidly. That kiss had definitely been better than the first. The silence that followed it felt awkward, and just as Nibutani was about to open her mouth to speak, the twin tailed girl leaned over to kiss her again. Nibutani felt Dekomori's lips move against hers. She was initially unresponsive, surprised by Dekomori's sudden kiss, but quickly reciprocated the action as she snapped back to her senses.

Nibutani heard the sound of footsteps approaching. She attempted to lift her head to locate the source of the noise, but the first year released Nibutani's hand and put her arm around the older girl, effectively draining any motivation Nibutani had to move.

"Oh my," A voice said above them. This time Dekomori was the one to pull away, and as she looked toward the voice, Nibutani saw the blonde girl's eyes widen and the color drained from her face. Nibutani finally looked up and noticed Kumin leaning against the net, smiling down at them.

Nibutani shot up. "W-what are you doing here?!" Her face was beet red. Nibutani wanted to disappear. Nothing was more embarrassing than getting caught kissing, especially by someone like Kumin. There was no doubt that she'd tease them about this for a while.

"Well club ended a little while ago, and we were passing by. Rikka said that she thought she saw you two, so we came over to investigate," Kumin explained. She pointed over to the edge of the playground where Rikka, Yuuta, and Mitsuki stood waiting. Nibutani buried her face in her hands. They had probably seen too. She was so embarrassed.

"We were curious since you two didn't show up this afternoon, but it looks like we interrupted something," Kumin giggled. Nibutani and Dekomori shifted uncomfortably.

"Well, now that we've all come together, we should at least walk home together," Kumin suggested.

Dekomori cleared her throat. "Very well. Our training here has reached it's conclusion anyway. We shall join you." Dekomori hurried through one of the gaps in the net. She held her hand out to help assist Nibutani. When both girls were out, they walked over to join the rest of the group.

Rikka, who looked flustered, shouted, "I-I hope your training outside of our headquarters was satisfactory!" Nibutani thought she was going to perish right there. She wasn't sure if this situation could get any more embarrassing. Dekomori looked equally as uncomfortable. She blushed and chuckled awkwardly.

Yuuta sighed, "You really don't need to say things like that. I told you guys that it was a bad idea to approach them." He threw a pointed look at the third year, who giggled in response.

"It doesn't matter. Let's just go home," Nibutani said, already feeling exhausted. She wanted to escape as quickly as possible.

"Yes, let's do that. This whole situation is silly," Mitsuki agreed. Nibutani looked over at the purple haired girl. The shock of what happened had momentarily made her forget about the younger girl's presence. She immediately felt uneasy. The other girl was glaring at her, obviously displeased with what the group had stumbled across.

Nibutani inwardly cursed. She had forgotten to talk to Dekomori about what she had learned about Mitsuki. Considering the girl's recent clinginess, Nibutani wouldn't be surprised if she didn't have another opportunity for a while. She hoped she would be able to keep the other girl at bay until she found another way to proceed.

As the group started walking away, Mitsuki linked her arm with Dekomori's. It annoyed Nibutani, but there wasn't much she could do without coming across as jealous. She was the only one who knew about Mitsuki's foul intentions after all. Nibutani didn't want to drag anyone else into it either, so causing a scene wouldn't work in her favor.

Nibutani sighed. A storm was definitely coming. Despite failing to achieve what she set out to do, she was glad that she got to spend time with Dekomori. She wasn't sure if they'd have time like this again, at least for a little while, and Nibutani was happy that she had this opportunity before her situation turned sour.

Nibutani looked over at the twin tailed girl. She was smiling and laughing along with the rest of the group, oblivious to what was happening behind the scenes. Nibutani was struck with a bolt of confidence as she remembered why she was doing all of this. She would put a stop to whatever Mitsuki was scheming, and she'd do it to make sure that smile stayed on Dekomori's face.


	10. Chapter 10

Nibutani sighed. Today had felt like it lasted a lifetime, and it hadn't been enjoyable in the slightest. She knew the moment she entered class and realized that she had forgotten her homework at home that this day would be a bad one. Her teacher had made her stand out in the hallway. Nibutani remembered the muffled giggles of her classmates during that moment and grimaced. She had always taken pride in her efficiency when it came to finishing her homework, so this slip up bothered her more than it probably should.

Nibutani partially blamed Mitsuki for the homework debacle, even though the first year had no direct involvement with the incident. Despite knowing that, Nibutani still felt annoyed whenever she thought about it. She had spent so much time worrying about Mitsuki that she found it hard to focus on the small things in life like putting her homework in her bag once she was finished.

The day had only gotten worse when it reached lunch time. She had sought out her girlfriend so she could relax and spend some time with her, something she really needed today as she was already worn out from the morning classes, but upon finding Dekomori, she had noticed that the twin tailed girl was not alone. Her purple haired companion had been clinging to Dekomori and had been talking excitedly about something Nibutani assumed was chuunibyou related.

Nibutani remembered asking if she could speak to Dekomori alone. Mitsuki had responded with, "Anything you have to say can be said to the both of us." Mitsuki had given her a sickeningly sweet smile, and it had made her skin crawl. Nibutani wasn't sure if that had been a joke or not, but it had been enough to send her reeling.

It was only through expert persuasion by Dekomori that Mitsuki finally relented and allowed the two to be alone. By that time, Nibutani's mood had deteriorated to the point where she doubted she had been very pleasant to be around. She had been quiet and only grumbled one word responses whenever the blonde girl spoke to her. Nibutani knew she would have to apologize later.

The fact that class was finally over gave her some relief, though she wasn't completely ready to spend the afternoon with people. She had opted to spend some time at the school's garden, which had become a thinking spot that she visited regularly. Being alone with the flowers never failed to set her at ease.

Nibutani's brow furrowed as she recalled Mitsuki's words for a second time. She felt anger rise up again, and she doubted that the flowers could sooth her for much longer. Mitsuki's lack of boundaries when it came to Dekomori irked her. It was twice as annoying now that she was in a relationship with the blonde girl.

Telling Dekomori about everything she knew would feel so good. For once, she might actually feel like she managed to get one step ahead. Regardless of her suspicions, there was no definitive evidence that the purple haired girl was aware that Nibutani knew anything. This was something that Nibutani could use to her advantage.

Her knowledge was only useful as long as she managed to relay the information to Dekomori without Mitsuki knowing. The sooner she could accomplish that, the better. Every moment she waited, she risked Mitsuki finding out.

Nibutani gathered her things and headed for the club room. She was already getting fired up, so now was as good a time as any to talk to Dekomori. Considering all that happened, the conversation would fit right in with the tone of the day. She planned to take Dekomori home and tell her on the way there. That way no one could interrupt them, and this time she would make sure she wouldn't get sidetracked by her girlfriend.

Nibutani hoped that she could catch Dekomori alone. Mitsuki was very reluctant to let Dekomori do anything without being right beside her. Though judging by the luck she's has so far, that outcome wasn't likely. As Nibutani walked towards the club room, she pondered over how to separate the two first years without creating a commotion.

When she reached her destination, she slid the door open and was greeted with the sight of Mitsuki sitting by herself near the window. The younger girl was staring down at the courtyard below and she looked deep in thought. Nibutani internally groaned. Mitsuki wasn't clinging to Dekomori, since the younger girl was currently absent, but being alone with her wasn't the desired outcome either.

"Where is everybody?" Nibutani asked. She thought it best to at least attempt civility. It would be incredibly awkward if they sat in the same room without speaking. Mitsuki turned her attention away from the courtyard.

"Dekomori went out to look for you," Mitsuki replied nonchalantly. "Rikka followed her so Yuuta went as well. Kumin left a few minutes ago. She said she had something to do this afternoon." Mitsuki gazed out the window again, seemingly uninterested in holding conversation.

Nibutani walked over to the small table and sat down. All she could do was wait until Dekomori returned. It didn't seem wise to go out and look for her considering that the younger girl was probably running all over the place. Nibutani wasn't too fond of sitting in the room alone with Mitsuki. The other girl was practically a ticking time bomb, and Nibutani had no idea what would finally set her off.

That was partially the reason why she had been avoiding talking to Dekomori about her chat with Aya. According to what she heard, it didn't seem likely that Mitsuki would handle her secrets being spread around. Nibutani wanted to make sure she got the information out before Mitsuki became aware of the situation. It might catch her off guard.

"You don't handle jokes very well," Mitsuki spoke up suddenly. Nibutani looked over at the purple haired girl in confusion.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Nibutani asked. She reminded herself to tread lightly. She had no way of telling where this conversation would lead too, and things had gotten hostile between them before.

"Today at lunch I was joking around when I said that thing about talking to the both of us instead of just talking to Sanae alone. You looked like I had just punched you in the gut. It was a joke. You should probably work on lightening up. It's no wonder you seem so worked up all the time." Mitsuki absentmindedly twirled a strand of her hair.

Nibutani bristled, "That day in the club room when Dekomori accepted my confession, that wasn't a joke. You should probably stop clinging to her. It's no wonder you seem so desperate all the time." Nibutani heard those words come out before she had time to think it through, and she immediately regretted it. Pissing Mitsuki off wouldn't help her at all.

To Nibutani's surprise, Mitsuki chuckled. "Well, aren't you a funny one? Clever, I'll give you that, though that's exactly what I'm talking about. You said it yourself, Dekomori accepted your confession, and if you weren't so uptight, you probably wouldn't even be worrying about me. It surely doesn't seem like you're secure in your relationship." Mitsuki looked over at Nibutani and smiled. Nibutani could tell she intended to get her riled up.

"Don't try to play that card with me. I know exactly what you're trying to do," Nibutani growled. She was trying her hardest to keep her temper under control, though she found it difficult knowing the other girl's intentions.

"Oh? What exactly do you think I'm trying to do?" Mitsuki asked, her smile never faltering.

"You're pissed that Dekomori rejected you, so you want to damage my relationship with her!" Nibutani accused.

"I don't know why you'd think that," Mitsuki said. "Sure, I'll admit that I felt disappointed that my feelings weren't reciprocated, and I may have been angry initially, but I have no ill intentions towards your relationship with her. I'm hurt that you think I do." Mitsuki looked at her as though she were actually hurt by the accusation.

Nibutani narrowed her eyes. She didn't want to believe a word the other girl said, but the way Mitsuki talked was very convincing, and Nibutani momentarily doubted her mistrust of Mitsuki. Was it possible that she was telling the truth? It seemed like a stretch.

"Plus, Sanae has been coming to me for relationship advice," Mitsuki continued, "I've been trying to help her find ways to make your relationship better, so you should thanking me." That snapped Nibutani back to her senses, and she immediately felt suspicious again.

The thought of Mitsuki having direct control over what Dekomori felt she should do in their relationship was absolutely terrifying. Mitsuki could easily plant any idea she wanted in the blonde girl's head. She was crafty enough to get away with it.

Nibutani had to remind herself to stay calm. If she let Mitsuki get under her skin, she might slip up and reveal something she wasn't ready to reveal. If she lost her element of surprise, she wasn't sure what she could do to remedy the situation. Nibutani knew she needed to pay close attention to everything Mitsuki said. She didn't want to let the conversation go the other girl's way.

"What have you been telling her?" Nibutani asked. The twin tailed girl still didn't know about anything that was going on, and Nibutani cursed herself for waiting so long to tell her. Any repercussions would be completely her fault.

"That's no fun, "Mitsuki smiled. "Why don't you just wait and find out for yourself?" Nibutani balled her fists and she fought the urge to lunge at the other girl. Mitsuki was trying to pull her strings, and nothing felt more infuriating. Nibutani took a deep breath before answering.

"Like hell I will," Nibutani growled. "I know what you're trying to do. You think you can manipulate this situation to suit your desires. Don't think for a second that that will work." Nibutani saw something flash in Mitsuki's eyes.

"What are you going on about? What makes you think that's my intention? Maybe I'm just trying to help out a friend." Mitsuki asked. The purple haired girl placed her hands on her hips. Nibutani was positive that that wasn't true.

"It's something you would do," Nibutani answered. Mitsuki gave her an exasperated look.

"What proof do you have of that?" Mitsuki asked. Nibutani didn't know how to properly answer that. The only proof she had was what Aya had told her. Nibutani looked down at the floor and shuffled her feet. She need to come up with something convincing.

"So you don't have anything," Mitsuki continued. "Figures. You're just like everyone else, trying to pick on me in any way possible. Will people ever finally relent and leave me alone?" Nibutani clenched her fists. Mitsuki was playing the victim once again. It was annoying, and Nibutani suddenly desired to throw Mitsuki's secrets right back in her face. Nibutani looked at Mitsuki, who watched her with curiosity.

"Judging by the way you're looking at me, it seems like you might have something after all," Mitsuki said. "You might as well tell me. Trying to avoid answering won't help you at all. It'll only annoy me, and you don't want to see me when I've lost my patience." Nibutani clenched her jaw. Mitsuki was challenging her.

"I have proof. I know what you've done," Nibutani whispered. She could see Mitsuki's smile finally falter. Nibutani felt her heart thump faster, and anxiety settled in the pit of her stomach. She didn't say directly where she got her information from, but she had a feeling that Mitsuki figured it out.

Mitsuki let out a loud sigh. "I figured you might have known something you weren't supposed to know, but now I have confirmation. How annoying..." Mitsuki rested her arm on the windowsill and leaned on her elbow.

Nibutani waited a few moments to see if the purple haired girl would say anything, but she didn't utter another word. The longer the silence continued, the more uncomfortable Nibutani felt. She couldn't tell what the first year was thinking, and it was extremely unnerving.

"This is what I can't stand about people. They can't seem to keep their mouths shut. They're always willing to talking about things that are better left unsaid. Maybe I need to pay a visit to that old friend of mine..." Mitsuki grumbled.

Nibutani's heart sunk. Mitsuki had definitely figured it out. The younger girl was smarter than Nibutani gave her credit for, and she silently cursed herself for failing to take that into account.

Mitsuki got up, walked over to Nibutani and looked at her straight in the eye. The girl's voice turned monotone. "It's truly unfortunate that you ran into Aya. I never expected something like that to happen. I thought she had disappeared for good once I taught her a lesson. It's a shame that she resurfaced in such an annoying manner."

Nibutani instinctively took a step back. The girl's demeanor had changed once again, and Nibutani wasn't sure what to expect from her.

"I can tell you're afraid," Mitsuki continued. "I think your fear is misplaced. I won't do anything to you. Sanae wouldn't like that. I'm sure she would rather see us get along. Maybe we could even be friends." Mitsuki showed no emotion. Nibutani almost preferred the false friendliness.

"I don't believe you," Nibutani muttered. "You said you would be friends with Aya, but you stabbed her in the back instead. You'll just do the same to me." There was no way she was going to fall for that. Now that she'd been warned, it was easy to spot her attempts at manipulation.

"You seem to have forgotten what Aya did to me," Mitsuki sighed. "I never did anything that was as bad as what she did. Anything she said to you was probably overly exaggerated. She used it as a tactic to deceive you. She wanted to throw you off course by making me the enemy."

Nibutani's head spun. Everything Mitsuki said was confusing. There was no logical reason why Aya would lie to her, but Mitsuki seemed so convinced that her words were correct. Nibutani ran a hand through her hair. It felt like she was playing a game. She needed to predict Mitsuki's moves, but how could she predict the moves of someone who was, in general, incredibly unpredictable?

"You certainly seem like the enemy to me," Nibutani said carefully. "You've already been outright hostile when you've interacted with me. Everything Aya said makes sense. Everything you've said does not."

Mitsuki shrugged, "I don't remember being hostile with you. You must be imagining things." Nibutani groaned in frustration. How long was she going to try to feign innocence? Nibutani knew her secret. She had seen the way Mitsuki behaved when she didn't get her way. There was no use hiding it.

"You were pretty hostile when you confronted me in the hotel room and in front of the school," Nibutani pointed out. There was no way she could deny those things happening.

"I may have been a bit miffed, but I hardly think it was hostile. You're overreacting, as per usual," Mitsuki snorted. Nibutani felt her blood boil.

"I'm not overreacting!" Nibutani shouted. "You keep trying to hide behind pretty words and a fake smile so people won't see how you really feel about them. If your facade doesn't work out your way, you get angry. When you're confronted, you resort to thinly veiled insults and accusations!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Mitsuki huffed. "What you're saying is absolute nonsense. You're just like everyone else. You're trying to antagonize me so you can hurt me. This is why I do what I do. I have to protect myself from menaces like you." Mitsuki crossed her arms and looked away.

Nibutani clenched her jaw and grabbed her head with both hands_. Now I'm the bad guy? I feel like I'm going crazy. What is going on here? I don't know how I'm supposed to deal with her. This is way over my head. She counters everything I say. It almost feels like what I'm saying is wrong. If I was right, would she really be able to counter me so easily?_

Nibutani closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. She need to remain calm. If she didn't do something to stop Mitsuki from acting out in whichever way she pleased, then her relationship with Dekomori would surely suffer. Mitsuki wanted to weasel her way into a position of control, and Nibutani had every intention to stop her.

She recalled Aya's words of warning. Aya had told her that Mitsuki would probably target her. Nibutani knew that if she stood in Mitsuki's way, that would probably become a reality. At this point, Nibutani didn't care. She couldn't shy away from her anymore. She needed to fight fire with fire.

"I'll tell her," Nibutani said. She stared at Mitsuki, challenging the other girl with her gaze. Dekomori was important to Mitsuki, and Nibutani was sure that the purple haired girl didn't want this kind of information to reach the twin tailed girl's ears. She hoped this threat would keep Mitsuki at bay.

Mitsuki eyes widened slightly, and for a moment, it looked like she truly feared that outcome. Nibutani felt her confidence. It seemed like she finally managed to catch Mitsuki off guard. It wasn't in the way that she initially expected, but it was good enough for her.

The corners of Mitsuki's mouth turned slightly upward, and she let out a quiet giggle. Nibutani looked at her in surprise. She moved closer to Nibutani, who was too dumbstruck to stop her. Mitsuki leaned in close until her mouth was right beside Nibutani's right ear.

"She won't believe you," Mitsuki whispered. The first year moved away. She threw one last smile at Nibutani and walked back over to the window. Mitsuki resumed watching the people down in the courtyard, a huge smile on her face.

Nibutani stood in her place, her arms hanging limply. Her legs felt like jelly, and she was afraid her knees would buckle. The speed that Mitsuki had recovered was enough to shock Nibutani in a stunned silence. When she opened her mouth, no words came out.

Nibutani heard the door to the club room slide open. She looked over and saw Dekomori standing in the doorway, staring at her with a worried expression on her face. Mitsuki sprung from her seat at the window and ran over to the blonde girl.

"Master, you returned! It's a shame that you ran around the school for nothing, but at least you've finally found your girlfriend!" Mitsuki clung onto Dekomori's arm and beamed at her. The bubbly display made Nibutani feel nauseous.

Dekomori chuckled nervously, "Attempting to locate her did turn out to be futile, but it was a good way to test my tracking skills. Though from what I can see, it seems like she's been hit by some debilitating spell. It might be best if I escort her back to her home."

"I'll come with you," Mitsuki suggested. Dekomori shook her head, seemingly sensing the tension in the room between the other two occupants.

"I think it would be best if I did this by myself," Dekomori said. "Fake Mori Summer is very prideful, so I'm sure she hates having anyone see her in such a state. It would be merciful to allow her some time to recover." Nibutani felt a weight lift from her shoulders.

Mitsuki pouted, "Fine. I guess I'll stick around for a little while longer." Dekomori gave a quick thanks. She walked over to Nibutani, grabbed her hand, and led her out of the club room.

* * *

"Thanks for getting me out of there." Nibutani and Dekomori walked down the street, Nibutani's house being their destination. Dekomori grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly.

"I need to tell what exactly happened back there," Nibutani went on. "Actually I need to tell you everything that's been happening in the past few weeks." Nibutani had finally managed to recover from the shock she got from the incident in the club room, and she was completely determined to continue on with her initial plan.

"I have a feeling I know what's happening," Dekomori said. Nibutani's eyes widened. Did Dekomori really know about Mitsuki and her secrets? It didn't seem likely unless she had run into Aya on her own, and Nibutani couldn't recall a time when Dekomori said she would be heading back to that cafe.

"You do?" Nibutani asked. Dekomori nodded but didn't say anything further. The twin tailed girl stared at the ground in front of her. It looked like she was deep in thought, and for a moment, Nibutani was worried that the younger girl might be upset. Before she could ask if she was okay, Dekomori spoke up again.

"I'll talk to Mitsuki, so you don't need to worry about anything anymore. I'll clear everything up." Dekomori looked up and Nibutani and smiled.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Nibutani worried that Mitsuki would try her little mind games on Dekomori as well. She was uncertain that Dekomori would be able to spot them as easily as she could. Mitsuki was warm and friendly towards the blonde girl, and as far as Nibutani knew, Dekomori had yet to see Mitsuki's more aggressive side.

"She won't do anything bad," Dekomori said. "We're friends, so you don't need to worry. She won't do anything to harm our friendship." That caught Nibutani's attention. There was no reason for Dekomori to suspect that Mitsuki might do something bad, so hearing the younger girl try to reassure her made Nibutani even more curious about how much Dekomori really knew.

The younger girl wasn't wrong. Nibutani knew that if anyone had a chance to talk Mitsuki down, it was the blonde first year. Nibutani took a deep breath. She really needed to stop worrying. Mitsuki held Dekomori in extremely high regard, so the likelihood of her trying anything sneaky with the twin tailed girl seemed rather low.

Okay," Nibutani agreed. "I trust you. I suppose this is a good chance for you to show your skills as the Mjolnir Hammer." Nibutani squeezed Dekomori's hand and smiled down at her.

"Huh?" Dekomori blinked. She stared at Nibutani in confusion until realization finally came over her. She nodded vigorously in response. Nibutani took note of Dekomori's sudden confusion. It seemed odd that she didn't respond to being called the Mjolnir Hammer, but then again, it was possible that Dekomori just wasn't used to being addressed like that by her. Nibutani decided not to worry about it too much.

"The Mjolnir Hammer is capable of many feats. I will not fail." Dekomori's voice was hushed. It surprised Nibutani since Dekomori tended to like to shout these things loud enough for everyone to hear.

Nibutani took a brief moment to study Dekomori's facial expression. She had that same thoughtful look as she had before. Whatever was going through the twin tailed girl's mind, it was certainly heavy. Dekomori rarely ever showed anything other than her usual excited demeanor. It made Nibutani worried, which was exactly what the other girl told her not to do.

As uncomfortable as she was with this situation, now was a good time for her to sit back and watch Dekomori act. She had been dealing with Mitsuki by herself for far too long, and part of her was relieved that Dekomori had finally gotten involved. Mitsuki's manipulative nature would continue to worry her, and that was something she doubted she could stop.

It seemed like she had gotten her information across without even stating it directly. Nibutani actually preferred it this way since she had been dreading having to tell Dekomori about Mitsuki's awful behavior towards Aya. Nibutani's task had been completed, albeit in a different way than she expected, and now she needed to place her trust in her girlfriend and let the first year do things her way.

If everything started to go awry, Nibutani would be at her side immediately. For now, she would watch and wait. Hopefully Dekomori would have more luck than she's been having.

* * *

A/N: I apologize for the delay.


	11. Chapter 11

Dekomori clenched her fists. She knew something had been wrong. Over the past few weeks, Nibutani had been a lot more stressed than usual. Though some might not believe it, Dekomori paid close attention to the second year, so the stress didn't go unnoticed.

Dekomori stood outside the club room. She had failed in her attempt to locate Nibutani, so she had decided that it would probably be best if she waited back at the club room. Dekomori had been about to go in when she heard yelling coming from inside. She overheard the raised voice of Nibutani and what sounded like Mitsuki.

It seemed like they were fighting, something which concerned Dekomori greatly. Mitsuki had told her that they had disagreements before, but she had yet to see them actually fight, so she never really believed that it had ever escalated to an actual fight. Dekomori instantly thought of her relationship with Nibutani. She had rejected Mitsuki in favor of the older girl, and that seemed like the only thing they could possibly fight about.

Knowing that that was the most likely topic of their quarrel confused Dekomori immensely. Mitsuki had voiced her mistrust of Nibutani before, but Dekomori thought that it was in the past. When she rejected Mitsuki's confession, the purple haired girl had taken it surprisingly well. She had wished her good luck and even offered advice if Dekomori ever found herself needing some.

Dekomori grimaced. She felt foolish for thinking it would be that easy. The continued animosity between the two other girls had completely gone over her head. Either she was just oblivious, or they were incredibly good at hiding it. Dekomori sighed. She wondered why Nibutani kept it hidden from her.

"I'm not overreacting!" Dekomori heard Nibutani shout. She pressed her ear against the wall, hoping to catch more of their conversation. It might help her down the road if she was explicitly aware of what the problem was. Unfortunately, both girls had lowered their voices substantially, practically to a whisper, and Dekomori was unable to register what was being said.

Dekomori held her breath and listened closely. The whispering died down, and she heard nothing but silence. She exhaled slowly and took a step back from the wall. Now seemed like a good time to disrupt the tension. Dekomori grabbed the door handle and slid the door open.

Upon entering the room, she noticed Mitsuki sitting over by the window and Nibutani standing in the middle of the room. Dekomori looked over at her girlfriend. Nibutani stood there, confusion and disbelief evident in her expression. It looked as though she was attempting to sort through a difficult problem but just couldn't figure out the solution.

Out of the corner of her eye, Dekomori saw Mitsuki jump up from her place at the window. Before she could completely register it, the other girl was clinging to her arm and smiling widely. It was a strange sight, considering the fight that had happened just moments before.

"Master, you returned! It's a shame that you ran around the school for nothing, but at least you've finally found your girlfriend!" Mitsuki looked at Dekomori excitedly. She removed her arm from Mitsuki's grasp and clasped her hands together behind her back.

Dekomori eyed Nibutani as she gave Mitsuki an excuse to get her girlfriend out of the room. The second year no longer looked confused but instead looked extremely uncomfortable.

"I'll come with you!" Mitsuki said. Dekomori momentarily panicked. That was not a desired outcome. Dekomori quickly came up with another excuse to make sure she could get Nibutani out without causing her too much stress. Luckily for her, Mitsuki complied.

Dekomori walked over to Nibutani, grabbed her hand, and led her out of the classroom. She walked quickly, her eyes fixed on the way before her. She didn't pay her girlfriend much attention until they were finally off the school grounds. She heard her Nibutani speak up, and she squeezed the other girl's hand in response.

Dekomori, having been lost in her determination to leave the school as quickly as possible, had missed most of what Nibutani had said. She only managed to hear Nibutani say something about needing to speak to her about things that had been happening in the past few weeks. Dekomori was almost positive that Nibutani would be bringing up fights she may have had with Mitsuki.

"I have a feeling that I know what's happening," Dekomori said. She noticed Nibutani's eyes cloud in confusion. Dekomori decided to keep quiet about overhearing their fight in the club room. If Nibutani wanted to keep the hostility between her and Mitsuki to herself, there must have been a good reason.

Talking to Mitsuki directly would probably be better. Dekomori had seen how stressed Nibutani had been lately, and the last thing she wanted was to make it worse by forcing her to talk about the fights she's had with Mitsuki. Plus, she was still friends with her classmate, despite what happened a couple weeks ago, and Dekomori was almost 100% positive that Mitsuki would willingly discuss these things with her if she asked.

"I'll talk to Mitsuki, so you don't need to worry about anything anymore. I'll clear everything up." Dekomori smiled at Nibutani. She was confident that she would be able to help settle things between the two girls. If she just sat down with Mitsuki and really talked to her about everything, she was sure to understand. There was no need for them to be at each other's throat.

Judging by the look in Nibutani's eyes, it didn't seem like she was feeling as optimistic. Dekomori tried to reassure her by explaining her friendship with Mitsuki, and that seem to calm the other girl down. Dekomori sighed in relief. She was glad she could do something to alleviate the second year's stress.

Mitsuki wasn't a bad person, Dekomori was sure of that, but if she was truly at odds with Nibutani, then there was something really wrong. Mitsuki didn't seem the type to get really worked up and angry about anything, so Dekomori felt curious as to what could possible have set her off.

The only solution was talking to her. Dekomori was confident that if she listened and learned about Mitsuki's side, that she would be able to bring the two girls together and help them solve this. Once everything was settled, everything would go back to normal. The stress would be gone, and everyone would be happy.

"...Mjolnir Hammer." Dekomori brought her attention to her girlfriend again as she heard the other girl say something. Once again, she had been too absorbed in her own thoughts and hadn't heard what the other girl said. Dekomori's cheeks heated up in embarrassment.

Dekomori fumbled to come up with something that would make it seem like she had been listening, "The Mjolnir Hammer is capable of many feats. I will not fail." Dekomori kept her voice hushed in case she said something that didn't make sense. Nibutani nodded in response.

They walked in the direction of Nibutani's house, chatting aimlessly with one another. It was nice. Dekomori always enjoyed the other girl's company, and it made her happy to she some of Nibutani's stress melt away. When they reached the gate of Nibutani's house, they lingered in the front.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow," Nibutani said, smiling. Dekomori looked down and shuffled her feet.

"...tani." Dekomori mumbled her words, too embarrassed to say them any louder. She'd been wanting to say it to her girlfriend for a while, and now seemed like a good time, but getting the words out was proving to be a lot more difficult than she expected.

"I didn't quite catch that," Nibutani replied. The second year tilted her head slightly and stared at Dekomori, waiting for her to repeat herself.

Dekomori felt her face turn red. She walked up to Nibutani and wrapped her arms around the other girl's torso. She pressed her face against Nibutani's shoulder and said in a much clearer voice, "I love Nibutani."

Dekomori tightened her grip and turned her head away so Nibutani couldn't see her blushing face. She felt Nibutani move her body slightly and wrap her arms around her. Nibutani rested her head on top of Dekomori's. They stood there in silence, using this opportunity to appreciate each other's presence.

After a few moments, Nibutani released her hold. Dekomori took a step back and looked up at the other girl. The second year was grinning.

Dekomori crossed her arms and mumbled, "What's with that dumb look on your face?"

"It's rare that you call me by my actual name," Nibutani replied. "This was the first time I heard it in a while. It makes me kind of happy." Dekomori blushed profusely.

"Don't read too much into it. You're still fake Mori Summer." Dekomori said, her arms still crossed. She heard Nibutani laugh. Dekomori smiled. It was nice to hear her laugh, especially after what had happened earlier.

Dekomori felt Nibutani cup her right cheek with her hand. The older girl leaned down and placed a light kiss on Dekomori's lips. Dekomori felt her heart race and her lips tingled when Nibutani pulled away.

"I love you too, Mjolnir Hammer," Nibutani smiled. She winked, said a quick goodnight, and walked into her house.

Dekomori grinned. Hearing Nibutani acknowledge her as the Mjolnir Hammer felt great. Mitsuki had told her that Nibutani might not like her because of her chuunibyou, but Dekomori felt that this was proof otherwise. It was incredibly reassuring, and it was just one less thing for her to think about.

In the future, Dekomori would be sure to continue her never ending battle with the fake Mori Summer, but for now, she needed to put that aside and focus on solving the current issue. Despite what people might say, Dekomori knew how to prioritize. There would be time to resume her role as the vanquisher of fakes later, once everything was settled.

Dekomori wanted to continue her chuunibyou adventures with the rest of the group as soon as possible. She decided that tomorrow would be the day that she sat Mitsuki down and really figured out what was going on.

* * *

"What did you need to speak to me about?"

Dekomori had kept true to her plan and had asked Mitsuki to talk with her at lunch. The purple haired girl had been surprisingly eager about their lunch plans, and Dekomori felt that her classmate had the wrong impression. She was sure that Mitsuki would be surprised once she brought up the topic.

Dekomori had brought Mitsuki up to the roof. Not many people frequented the area during lunch time, so it was a perfect place to chat.

"You've been fighting with Nibutani," Dekomori stated bluntly. She saw Mitsuki's smile falter. The earlier eagerness vanished instantly, and Mitsuki turned her head to gaze at the view. She was silent, and it seemed like she was contemplating on what she should say.

"I'm not mad or anything," Dekomori continued. "I can just tell that it's stressing everyone out, so I want to help fix it. I don't like seeing my friends fight." Mitsuki looked back at her and smiled.

"You really are the kindest person I've ever met," Mitsuki said. Dekomori blinked. The compliment was appreciated, but Dekomori always felt confused when it came to Mitsuki's admiration towards her. She never felt like she was doing anything extraordinary. She always treated people in a way she felt was right. It didn't feel like something worthy of praise.

"We've been having our fair share of disagreements recently," Mitsuki went on. "I know how much you care for your friends, but I don't think it's anything you need to worry about. Nibutani and I can handle it ourselves." Mitsuki gave Dekomori a reassuring smile.

"I heard you two fighting in the club room," Dekomori said quietly. "Nibutani has been very stressed lately, so I want to help her." Mitsuki's expression turned frantic. She leaned over and grabbed Dekomori by the shoulders.

"How much did you hear?!" Mitsuki asked, her eyes wild. Dekomori stared at her in shock. That reaction was definitely unexpected.

"N-Not much," Dekomori stammered. "I couldn't hear very well, but I did hear Nibutani yell a few times." Mitsuki took a deep breath and released Dekomori's shoulders. She moved back to her place and closed her eyes.

Dekomori was unsure of what she should do. Mitsuki was visibly shaken up. Something had been said in that room that Mitsuki didn't want revealed to her. Dekomori couldn't possibly fathom what that might be, but in order for her to make any progress, she needed to know. She needed to approach this in a way she knew Mitsuki would respond positively to.

"My servant," Dekomori began. "I understand that sometimes we find ourselves bound under curses that prevent us from relaying information. These curses are difficult to break, but it _can_ be done. As your master, it is my duty to protect you, so I need you to try your hardest to break through this curse that binds you."

Mitsuki looked Dekomori in the eye. Her expression changed rapidly. Within a few seconds, Dekomori saw her go from fearful, to angry, to sad, until she appeared to finally have reached a state of calmness.

"I just have trouble trusting people sometimes," Mitsuki murmured. "Describing it as a curse is...surprisingly accurate. I am forever cursed to fear the unpredictability of human beings." Mitsuki leaned back, her arms holding her up behind her, and stared at the sky.

"You can never really tell what people are going to do," Mitsuki continued. "They say one thing and then do the other. There's no order, no control. It's spontaneous chaos. People scare me. I hate them. I hate them all. I don't know how you put up with them."

Dekomori opened her mouth and closed it again. She wasn't sure how to respond. She could tell that Mitsuki was being completely sincere, and despite going there with the intention to sort through the conflict, Dekomori found herself unable to fully understand where Mitsuki was coming from.

She didn't think the same way at all. She loved being around people. The spontaneous chaos that Mitsuki spoke about always excited her. She never feared unpredictability. Dekomori believed that that's what made life fun. Chuunibyou was anything but predictable.

"I don't know if I understand what you're feeling, but I think you should try to think of it in a different way," Dekomori started. "People do crazy things sometimes, but that doesn't make them all bad."

"How do you know? You're the only one I've met so far that actually cares about the people around her." Mitsuki grumbled. Dekomori chuckled nervously. That wasn't always 100% true.

"I too have done things that people consider stupid an annoying. One time, Fake Summer was running for student council president, and I hid in the podium while she gave her introduction speech to my class. I drew on her legs and tickled her so she would mess up." Dekomori chuckled at the memory. Nibutani had been furious, but the whole thing had been so amusing that she hadn't cared a single bit.

"That's only one of the many things I've done to mess with Fake Summer," Dekomori continued. "We've spent countless hours tormenting each other, yet the lover's contract that we're bound to is stronger than ever. Our contract is built on unpredictability, but we still care for each other. We're not bad, just human."

Dekomori couldn't tell if her words got through to Mitsuki. The other girl looked troubled. It seemed like she was attempting to grasp this other perspective, but Dekomori was unsure if she was understanding it.

Mitsuki turned to face Dekomori. "You say that people aren't bad, but what about the people who don't care? What about the people who just want to hurt you? What about the people who were supposed to be on your side, but turn against you anyway?." Mitsuki sighed heavily. Those questions reminded Dekomori of an unpleasant experience she had not too long ago.

"There was this girl," Dekomori began, "She tried to take role of Mori Summer. She contacted me through a webpage that she made. I wasn't sure, but I thought that there really could have been a slim chance that she was who she said she was. I reached out to her, and tried to befriend her."

Mitsuki stared at Dekomori intently. "How did that work out for you?"

"Well," Dekomori continued, "She definitely was not Mori Summer. She tried to get me to pull away from Nibutani. The imposter called her impure and corrupted. I think it really upset Nibutani. One day, the imposter held me against a tree, and wouldn't let me go. She did things like bite my ears. It was unpleasant." Dekomori mumbled the last part. She shuddered. The experience had actually scared her. She was lucky that Nibutani had come to her rescue.

"In then end, Nibutani came and helped me, and she challenged the imposter to a battle. We worked together and drove the imposter away." Dekomori knew that that was the moment when she realized how great Nibutani really was. It had been a horrible experience overall, but it did succeed in helping them tighten their bond.

"That's an awful thing to do..." Mitsuki murmured. Dekomori nodded.

"Even though I had that bad experience, I didn't let it hurt me. Even though the imposter tried to trick me for her own personal gain, I didn't allow myself to hate her. I grew even stronger than I was before! I don't think she was a bad person. She just made bad choices, but I refuse to let those things weaken me." Dekomori smiled at Mitsuki.

It felt like she was understanding her classmate a little better. What the purple haired girl lacked was sincere friendship. According to what Mitsuki had said, it seemed like she distanced herself from people and antagonized them because she had gone through a bad experience as well. Dekomori wasn't sure what could have happened to her, but it was clear that Mitsuki hadn't been strong enough at the time to handle it.

If that was true, Dekomori wasn't surprised that she had some negative views on people. If she could just show her classmate that there are people who would want to be her friend, then she wouldn't have to worry as much anymore.

Dekomori heard Mitsuki laugh. She looked over at the other girl and saw her practically doubling over in laughter. Mitsuki reached up and wiped a tear from her face. Dekomori pouted, thinking that the other girl was laughing at her story.

"Why are you the only one who doesn't make me feel like I need to be on the defensive all the time?" Mitsuki asked. "I think you're the first person I've actually felt comfortable talking to. It's crazy." Mitsuki leaned all the way back until she was lying down against the tiles of the roof.

Dekomori replied in the only way she knew how to, "I am your master. The bond between master and servant allows for these things to come out. When I was still serving under the Wicked Eye, we shared many secrets that were heard by our ears only." Mitsuki let out a chuckle.

"Let me ask you something," Mitsuki requested. "If someone does something bad because they think they're defending themselves, does that make them a bad person?" That was a good question. It was one that Dekomori never really thought about before. She thought it over for a couple of minutes before answering.

"I think that if someone believed there was no other way, then they aren't a bad person. Just misguided. Sometimes people allow evilness to swallow their heart, even if they don't fully realize what it is capable of doing to them. That's why I chose Mori Summer as my mentor. She cleanses the world of evilness and brings love into the hearts of humanity." Dekomori answered.

Dekomori had always admired and been fascinated by the teachings of Mori Summer. Those ideals were captivating, and they gave her a reason to fight. She always took it upon herself as the Mjolnir Hammer to live by those words and work to cleanse corruption. It was the type of mission that she held close to her heart.

"That certainly sounds like you," Mitsuki murmured. "Do you truly not believe that there are people out there who just deserve whatever bad fate is brought down upon them?" It was possible that there were those who were cruel enough to deserve misfortune, but Dekomori liked to believe that anyone was worthy of forgiveness.

"People do bad things, and some things deserve justice, but they are not exempt from forgiveness," Dekomori replied. :Everyone's hearts have the potential to be good, but sometimes people are misguided by an evil far too great for them to understand. This is why I fight under the teachings of Mori Summer."

"Misguided..." Mitsuki echoed. Dekomori nodded. Mitsuki clasped her hands behind her head and gazed at the sky. Her eyes followed the clouds as they floated by. Dekomori leaned back and laid down beside her.

"I'm not a very good person, you know," Mitsuki began. "That's why Nibutani hates me. I don't care about people or their feelings, apart from you. I think most people are wastes of space. Everyone annoys me and gets in my way. I'm not unwilling to control and manipulate to make sure I get what's in my best interest. I'm not opposed to revenge." Dekomori looked over at Mitsuki, surprised.

Mitsuki never struck Dekomori as the type of person who would willingly hurt people. That confession came as a huge shock. Admitting to feelings like those probably wasn't easy, and Dekomori was surprised that the other girl was willing to speak about it.

Mitsuki continued, "And when people finally catch on, I turn it against them and make things seem like their fault. I've come across so many bad people that I taught myself these things because I believe that they're the only way for me to stay safe in the world. It's become such a strong habit that sometimes I don't even realize that I'm doing it."

Dekomori's pulse quickened. She had no real experience with people who thought the way her classmate did. She was used to spouting words she learned from the Mabinogion, but this was the first time she really came across someone who challenged those ideals. Dekomori felt slightly intimidated.

"I was talking about this to Nibutani, albeit in a different fashion, but that's the fight you heard yesterday," Mitsuki explained. "I didn't want you to know. You're the only one who's opinion actually matters, so I wanted to keep this image of me in your mind of someone who doesn't do those things. You're the only one who actually manages to make me doubt the way I tackle the world."

Everything that Mitsuki was revealing was incredibly personal, and Dekomori was surprised that she chose to reveal it to her in the first place. She found it strange that she was the only person who Mitsuki believed was good. If Dekomori hadn't offered to show the purple haired girl around on her first day, who knows what Mitsuki's opinion of her would have been.

"I'm surprised, but I don't look down on you for it. I think you might be more similar to people then you think you are," Dekomori said. "Bad things clearly have happened to you, and you let the love disappear from your heart. You aren't the first. You just need assistance in finding a better path." Dekomori held her breath as she waited for Mitsuki's response. She wasn't sure how Mitsuki would take her words.

"You may be right, but I don't know..." Mitsuki mumbled. She didn't take her eyes off the sky for one second. She looked troubled and deep in thought. Suddenly, an idea struck Dekomori. She sprung up to a sitting position.

"I think I know what might help you!" Dekomori exclaimed. "You just need to come to terms with everything that's happened to you and everything you've done. Once that happens, your heart will start to feel forgiveness and acceptance and you can start anew. The best way to get that out is through battle!" Mitsuki looked at her in confusion.

"You want to help me even though you know I've done bad things?" Mitsuki asked in disbelief. Dekomori nodded.

"You're my friend, and I always protect my friends." Dekomori explained. "Tomorrow after class, meet me back here. Make sure to arm yourself. I will bring Fake Summer as well. She is an important part of the process."

"I don't know how well Nibutani is going to take this development. We don't exactly see eye to eye on, well, anything." Mitsuki pointed out. Dekomori was confident that Nibutani would go along. The older girl had placed her trust in her, and Dekomori was sure that her girlfriend would understand how she was trying to resolve this.

"It'll be okay," Dekomori reassured. Mitsuki didn't look convinced.

"I'm not entirely confident that you'll get me to change my views, but I'll humor you, I suppose. I think I owe you that much. Though don't expect me to cooperate with Nibutani. She pisses me off." Mitsuki grumbled. Dekomori sighed. This would be hard, but she need to try for the sake of her friends.

The bell signaling the end of the lunch period rang, it's sound echoing across the campus.

"Well I guess that wraps this up. Let's head back to class." Mitsuki got up from her position. She gathered her things and packed them up.

Dekomori followed suit. She needed to inform Nibutani of her plans before the day ended. She decided to look for Nibutani immediately after class ended. The second year didn't have theater club today, so it was likely that Dekomori would be able to find her in the club room.

With her plan set, she followed Mitsuki back to class.

* * *

Dekomori burst into the club room and was pleased to see that the second year was present in the room along with the rest of the group.

"I have figured everything out!" Dekomori shouted excitedly. Her voice boomed, and it startled the rest of the rooms occupants. Nibutani looked up at her.

"What exactly have you figured out?" Nibutani asked. Dekomori grinned.

"I have figured out how to help Mitsuki! It'll put an end to everything that has been happening lately!" Dekomori beamed. She was excited to put her plan into motion. She would simultaneously be able to help both her girlfriend and her classmate, and it was very possible that this all could be resolved without too much hostility and drama.

"What do you mean help her?" Nibutani asked, her eyes betraying her suspicion. "I thought you were supposed to be talking to her about backing down." Nibutani's eyes narrowed and an unpleasant feeling settled in the pit of Dekomori's stomach.

"I did talk to her," Dekomori explained. "I learned about what has corrupted her heart, and I think I can help her, but I need you to help me do it." Dekomori could see irritation in Nibutani's expression.

"I don't think you really understand what you're dealing with," Nibutani said. "Mitsuki isn't who you think she is. I thought that maybe you had some kind of understanding of that, but I guess I was mistaken. I should have just told you myself." The air quickly grew tense, and the others sitting in the room were visibly uncomfortable.

"Mitsuki never told you about her past," Nibutani continued. "She never told you what happened to her and what horrible things she did to people to get her revenge. You wouldn't want to help her if you knew." Dekomori sighed. She failed to remember Nibutani's stubbornness, and it was clear that she had her own perception of who Mitsuki was as a person.

Despite knowing that, it didn't change how Dekomori felt about the situation. Mitsuki had explicitly listed off things she had done in the past, so the details on the exact situations were no longer as important.

"I know that she has done some bad things in the past, but I believe that she can change and allow love back into her heart. We can help her get rid of the corruption within her, and she will be able to become a much better being! Just let me explain what I have planned," Dekomori said, full of confidence.

Nibutani groaned, "This isn't some chuunibyou fantasy! This is real life and she has done actual bad things! She has lied and maliciously manipulated people! She's even tried to pull the same stunts with you and me! Why would you even consider taking her side?" Nibutani's exasperation was clear, and Dekomori could feel her own frustration rise.

"I'm not taking her side!" Dekomori argued. "I'm trying to help you too!" Dekomori gritted her teeth. It was frustrating that the other girl wasn't taking the time to hear her out.

"How exactly does this help either of us?" Nibutani asked. "I've been trying to protect our relationship from her because I know what she's capable of doing! Now you're just setting yourself up to be vulnerable! I don't care how close you think you are. She'll take advantage of you. It's in her nature!" Dekomori shook her head. She didn't think something like that would happen.

"You weren't there!" Dekomori countered. "Everything she said to me was sincere!"

Nibutani bristled, "How can you possibly know that?"

"I just do!" Dekomori growled. The two girls glared at each other. Neither one wanted to budge.

"Mitsuki listened to me, and she's willing to see if I can help her. You're the only one opposing it," Dekomori pointed out. "Just let me show you what I have planned!" Dekomori didn't understand why Nibutani was acting so stubborn about it. She thought that her girlfriend would trust her to come up with a way to make things better.

"I'm not so quick to trust everything she says," Nibutani said. "I've experienced her behavior first hand. You can't possibly understand because you're the only one she's actually decent to!" Dekomori felt tears of frustration well up in the corner of her eyes. She clenched her fists.

"You're so stupid, Fake Summer," Dekomori whispered. "You won't listen to me. You're fake and stupid, and if you won't help me, I'll do it myself!" Dekomori turned on her heel and rushed out of the room, leaving her stunned friends behind.


End file.
